Missing
by Lotr Addicted
Summary: Being the Original Hybrid had made him think he was invincible. He was mistaken, because now he had much to lose. Poster by sparkling-september
1. Chapter 1

_Even though I'm the sacrifice_

_You won't try for me, not now_

_Though I'd die to know you love me_

_I'm all alone_

_Isn't something missing? Isn't someone missing me_

_**Missing** by **Evanescence**_

* * *

It was dark. It was cold. He was lying on the floor barely conscious. It was like a nightmare but it felt way too real.

Klaus opened his eyes once again, trying to push back the feeling of dizziness and sickness. What happened was still a blur.

He still couldn't get his head around the fact that someone managed to get to him so easily, because he didn't remember putting a fight at all. It was humiliating, he was the Original Hybrid, one of the most evil and dangerous creatures that walked the earth. And now he was on his back, sprawled on the ground like a helpless newly turned vampire.

He felt a little disoriented but he managed to get to his feet. He stretched his arms, no damage there. No stakes, no daggers. Yet he could feel the lingering effects of vervain in his blood.

The bloody bastards had injected him with vervain. Not that it would be much of a weapon against him, but it still hurt. Through a thousand years of practice he had managed to tame the pain from the offending liquid, but it didn't mean that it didn't take its toll on his body. He would not be killed by it, but it could hurt as hell. Thankfully he had been unconscious for the most part.

His head still pounding, he brushed his clothes as if it was the only logical thing to do. He turned around to see where he was being held.

_Where I have been dumped would be more appropriate_, Klaus thought bitterly to himself.

Once he knew where he was, he would see to it that those responsible for this inconceivable insult to his pride pay with their life.

The place around him was dim, no windows on the walls. It didn't seem like a cave, nor an abandoned warehouse. Probably a basement. It looked strangely well-kept.

The thick walls were covered in red bricks, the pavement was smooth. A small light bulb hang from the high ceiling and after a few moments he found the switch. Its yellow light chased the dark shadows away.

Not that he needed light, his vampire sight served him well in the dark. He just wanted to have a better look at the surroundings.

Klaus was puzzled. The place had a familiar feeling about it, but he was sure he had never been here. The room he was in was a seven by ten feet space, a single narrow bed was positioned near the wall behind him. It was clear no one had slept in it for a while but there was no dust, the covers seemed reasonably clean. Near the bed was a small table with a chair. Apart from that the room was completely empty.

There were two doors in his room, each facing the other in opposite walls. Klaus had nothing better to do so he decided to explore the place. He heard no other noise around him, so he concluded he was alone.

The smaller door on the further wall at the back of the room was unlocked and it led to a narrow passage. He could see another door just right beside his, but it was locked from the other side. The passage led to a small bathroom. He checked the shower and was surprised to find it in working conditions. There was also a small sink and he let the water barely dripping just to break the eery silence.

Klaus then returned to his room and headed for the larger sliding door. Even if he didn't think that it would be unlocked, he tried nonetheless to open it.

To his great surprise, it was indeed unlocked. With little effort he slided it all the way till it slammed with noise.

_You must be kidding me_, he thought confused. Someone had gone to great lengths to knock him unconscious only to leave the doors unlocked.

Klaus's anger began to show now. He had had enough. He would have his answers and whoever was behind this would not find his reaction amusing.

Just as he tried to make the first step out of his room, an invisible barrier kept him from leaving. A very annoying electric shock ran through his body making every nerve ending resonate. A thousand tiny needles convinced him that leaving was not the best idea.

"Ahhhhhh" he yelled at the empty room pissed off. The initial anger was beginning to turn to murderous rage.

It made sense, magic was at work here. No wonder they hadn't locked the doors. A witch or a warlock was behind this. Might as well be a coven of witches. Everything was possible, he had no way of knowing.

But they had underestimated him. He may not be able to pass through the barrier but he would not be an easy prey. He had bested thousands of foes through his existence, another witch would not be the end of him.

Just as he was making plans of revenge and retribution, he heard an almost imperceptible noise. Actually it was like a very weak whining and it made him tense like a spring.

He was not alone after all, but who could the other person be? He could swear it was a woman's voice, but not one he could recognize just by a single whining sound. For some reason he believed the other person was a captive as well if the hint of pain in their voice was any indication.

Klaus approached the wall and placed his ear over it. He tried to concentrate and isolate all the little sounds around him.

"Who's there?" he asked trying to make his voice not sound too harsh.

No answer came immediately. Klaus knocked twice on the wall in order to make whoever was behind that wall aware of his presence.

A few moments passed when a faint voice finally broke the deafening silence.

"Helloooo?" The owner of the voice seemed on the verge of despair.

Klaus froze in place. It couldn't be, he couldn't believe what his brain had already acknowledged.

"Caroline? Are you OK? Talk to me." He pleaded unable to stay still.

If he was going to murder those responsible for this when he woke up, now that he knew they had Caroline as well he would … oh he couldn't think straight. His mind was assaulted by images of torture, of such immense pain inflicted upon the fools that death would seem like salvation.

How dare they kidnap his Caroline too? No one messed with him and his kin and live to talk about it. Not that he had claimed Caroline as his, but it was not important at the moment.

Klaus Mikaelson was a dangerous man when he was bored. He was a lethal adversary when he was being crossed. The unknown fools had just crossed the invisible border between life and death.


	2. Chapter 2

**_First of all, I would like to thank everyone for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting this story. Your expectations are my inspiration. _**

**_I hope the rest of the story will not disappoint you :-)_**

* * *

Caroline was utterly confused.

_That's the understatement of the year. I am confused when someone asks for directions in a language I don't speak. To wake up in the floor of a filthy room in the middle of nowhere is definitely not confusion. It's_ …

Caroline could not think straight. She was alarmed, she was afraid, she was pissed off, she was angry. And she was still on the floor.

With a disgusted sigh she rose up to her feet. She could see no injuries but she would swear someone had "kindly treated" her with vervain.

The oh so familiar nausea was nothing compared to the splitting headache that had a deathly grip on her. Her whole body burned as if she had ingested acid. She had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself.

Her body was fighting the effects of vervain and she recognized the signs of slow but certain victory. Probably the effects were wearing out.

Caroline had no recollection of how she got here in the first place. One moment she was going to her car after a really exhausting day, the next she woke up in an empty room.

_Oh my God, this can't be happening again. People will think I actually enjoy being the damsel in distress._

She was not sure what actually broke the veil of unconsciousness. She was disoriented when she came to her senses, but she thought she heard a noise somewhere close to her, maybe like a door being slammed.

Once the initial shock subsided, Caroline knew she had to check her surroundings and find out as many things as she could.

She heard no distinct noises around her, but it didn't mean that her kidnappers were not close. She decided to keep quiet for now and take cautious steps toward her freedom.

Being in such a dire position was not new to her. She had fought like a tigress to escape but she had had help. Her friends had come to her rescue and she knew, she hoped they would do the same this time as well.

But did they really know she was missing? Did they have a clue where she was? She had faith in them, she had faith in herself. She would not stay idle either.

Determined to see the light of day again, she started to study the room she was in.

The first impression was _filthy_. She was not accustomed to such disgusting treatment. The room was small and almost devoid of furniture. There was a single bed near the wall, a table and a chair. She had seen better prison cells in the newspapers.

_It's not like I'm on vacation and this is a five-star hotel, but come on, how difficult is it to make this place bearable?_

Caroline noticed the door on her right. She approached it carefully and almost with fear. Her hand reached the doorknob reluctantly as if she expected someone to be on the other side of the door.

It turned out she was worried in vain. The door was locked and unmoving. She didn't use her vampire strength because she didn't want to alert her kidnappers and have them know she was awake.

Then she turned to see the door on the opposite wall. An unexplained fear gripped at her heart. She had believed that being immortal had made her strong and confident.

Yet, seeing the darkness spreading beyond the gaping door was creepy. She knew the monsters were real, hell, she was one of them as well. A faded light that was coming from some place she could not see only made matters worse. The mix of light and shadow made her imagination work overtime.

The frightened child in her made her cringe in fear, but Caroline refused to be that weak. She had vowed to herself to never feel weak again. She was no longer the scared little Caroline.

Her vampire sight detected no immediate threats lying ahead, so, with steady steps she stepped out of the door. No sooner had she moved bare inches than she was knocked back from an invisible power.

A whining sound escaped her lips before she had time to brace herself for her new adventure.

_Damn it, a barrier. Just perfect. Bring me a werewolf and my idea of the perfect day is complete._

So this was serious. She wasn't being kept hostage by mindless and dumb creatures. This was a witch's work. Unfortunately not all witches were cute and funny like Bonnie, not that Bonnie's opponents saw her as cute and funny.

And she had murdered a dozen of them to save her friend. If the witches were out seeking revenge she was in one hell of a predicament.

Her thoughts were interrupted a few moments later when she heard a knock on the wall and a voice asking who was there.

She must have hit her head pretty hard because she thought she heard a familiar British accent. But that couldn't be true, right? What would be the chances of that?

Still she hung on to hope and replied with an uncertain _Hello_. For a moment she felt like those stupid young kids at horror movies who know they are about to enter a serial killer's house and still draw attention to themselves by shouting _Hello_.

But now that she was in distress she couldn't find a more creative way to ask for help.

And then that familiar soothing voice called her name, a hint of concern barely traceable in it. It was true, she was now fully awake and not hallucinating. Klaus was there.

The wave of relief was so intense that she couldn't breathe let alone answer to him. Had he come to rescue her? How had he found her?

_Oh hell, what does it matter? I'm not alone anymore._ Caroline would never admit she was genuinely happy to hear Klaus's voice.

He fancied her but things between them were a little tense at the moment. After his brother's death at the hands of her friends they had exchanged a few harsh words. And if one added to the equation a bite from the Original Hybrid, then a cure and her boyfriend exiled from Mystic Falls, it surely left them in a bizarre relationship.

But she needed help. And he was there. For the time being she would accept his help and would think about the implications later.

"Klaus?" She asked with a trembling voice, still afraid that he was nothing but a trick of her confused mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Thanking everyone for their support and encouragement is the least I can do. Suggestions and improvements are more than welcome :-)_**

**_If I haven't already done so, I will state the obvious that I don't own anything related to TVD. (otherwise you would not be reading my stories, you would be watching my episodes of glorious Klaroline verse)_**

**_Enjoy!_**

* * *

Klaus didn't know if he should feel happy that she responded to him or sorry that she was there in the first place.

But all he could feel was guilt, a totally unfamiliar feeling for him. He wanted something, he acted. There was no place for guilt in his world, just satisfaction if he got what he wanted. Not if, when, he mentally corrected himself.

Yet he felt it was his fault that Caroline was there. Somehow it didn't make sense that she was the main target and he was just collateral damage.

He tried to make a list of the possible enemies behind this tragically stupid mistake, but he came up with none. That was not due to lack of enemies, but because his enemies were already dead. And if there was someone alive and breathing, holding a grudge against him, they were probably too insignificant to be classified as his enemies, they were just victims.

"Klaus? Are you there?" The urgency in her voice brought him back to reality.

"Yes love, I'm here. Are you OK? Have they hurt you?" He tried to keep his voice casual not to alarm her.

_Oh, stop it with the love thing. Do I look like I am OK_? But he couldn't see her, could he?

"No Klaus, I'm not OK. Where are we? Why are we here? Who "

She was having a break down and he couldn't do anything about it. Well, actually he could.

"Stop it Caroline." He ordered somewhat intensely and, to his amusement, she actually stopped.

Klaus imagined the lovely baby vampire standing behind the wall. It would take her exactly two seconds to recover from the first shock and say that mental Seriously? with the proper body language. He gave her another second to think of a smart retort. Then? It would come …

"Who do you think you are Mr.? You are not entitled to shouting orders at me."

_That_. She was furious at him right now and he couldn't suppress a laugh.

"Instead of shouting at me through the wall you can actually come over here." he said unreasonably amused by all this.

"What? How can I when I don't know where you are?"

She was confused now. It was obvious he was enjoying messing with her and she would make him pay for that. But how could she go to him? On one side there was the barrier, on the other side a locked door.

And then it dawned on her. She headed for the door and, using her vampire strength, managed to rip it open.

Klaus was standing on the other side of the door observing her with a slight smirk on his face. So the bastard knew she was trapped there and had done nothing about it.

Her long hair was disheveled, her light dress covered in wrinkles, her makeup kind of all over her face. Other than that, she looked unharmed. In other words stunning. He realized he liked her even when she was not perfect.

"What are you looking at?" she spat with an unladylike growl. How would he like it if she slapped him just to wipe that smirk off his face?

_I'll probably get to drink his blood after he bites me in anger. Definitely not worth it._

Klaus was still smiling. "I am terribly sorry to interrupt your mental conversation with yourself. Did you reach a verdict?" His adorable accent was getting to her nerves.

"You're a jerk, has anyone told you that?" that was the best she could come up with. In her defense, being knocked out and tossed in a horrible place did mess with a girl's resources of witty comments.

"You, on multiple occasions." His eyes grew a little bit cold for an instant. "The others couldn't talk after I ripped their hearts of."

Caroline drew a sharp breath. _Why does he always have to ruin the moment?_ But the comment reminded her that regardless of how he let her treat him, he was a very dangerous man.

"Right. Where are we? How did you know where I was? Why are we here?" She would continue her questions were it not for the warning in his eyes.

"You are in shock, love." He motioned for her to follow him into another room. "I will answer your questions at my best ability."

_I am not thick you ape._ Yet she felt she had to keep her temper under control. After all the original hybrid was unpredictable. So she just followed him to wherever he was leading, looking curiously at the horrible place.

It was a dark corridor leading to another closed door at the end of it. She couldn't guess at what it was. The walls seemed thick and there was no other way out.

They were heading towards a door beside the one she had just ripped off the hinges. When she entered the room she realized where the light that she saw beyond the barrier came from. It was his room.

"Why is your room bigger and better than mine?" she asked before she could stop herself.

_OMG … I sound like a fifth grader._ Mental slap was in order but she didn't have the time with his piercing eyes locked on her.

"It must be my charming smile." He was enjoying this. "Now if you would please have a seat so we can talk" he said motioning to the options she had.

"Yeah sure." She replied not wanting to comment on his charms. It was not a safe subject.

She eyed the bed and unwillingly blushed. It was his bed, she couldn't just sit there. She recalled that she woke up on the floor, so maybe he was on the floor too.

Still the images it conjured in her head were disturbing. Even if he hadn't slept on that bed, and by the looks of it he hadn't, it still was not safe. Because she was almost sure he would sit on the bed as well, a few inches away from her. Way too close for her liking.

So the chair it was. She sat there and waited for him to start explaining.

The hesitation in her eyes wasn't lost on Klaus. Not that it was a surprise, so he sat on the bed and faced her. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his hands nervously ruffling his dirty blonde hair.

Caroline was getting anxious by the second. If Klaus was nervous, things were not looking good. She could barely restrain herself from shouting at him to start already.

"I don't have all the answers to your questions. I woke up just as you did and had a look around. Then I heard your voice and " he started saying as if apologizing.

"Then why the hell did you bring me here?" Caroline was furious. All this suspense only to tell her he didn't know a damn thing about their situation?

Klaus was surprised by her reaction, though he should have seen it coming.

"You're hurting my feelings love" that seductive smile appeared on his face only to make her madder.

"I am not joking Klaus." her voice had increased an octave.

Even though he enjoyed the sound of his name on her lips, he was a bit tired of the drama.

"Sweetheart, if I had the answers we wouldn't be here now would we?" his smile was still in place but his eyes had lost that warm glow. The mesmerizing sky blue orbs shined with confined rage reminding Caroline of who he really was.

"I ..." she was taken aback and for once didn't know what to say.

"Lets start with the obvious. We have been kidnapped for what seems like a day, our cell phones taken away. I don't have a recollection of the moment I got ..." he wanted to say knocked out like a sandbag but it felt too undignifying a word. "Do you remember anything?" he changed the subject.

Caroline shook her head in denial. "I was going to my car after a tiring day and the next thing I knew I was on the floor sprawled like a doormat." She said trying to lighten the tension running through the atmosphere in the room.

Klaus couldn't help a giggle. "The sandbag and the doormat. We make a fine couple, don't you think?"

_Couple? He was thinking of that even if they were kidnapped by God knows who?_

"We are pathetic and we are not a couple." she declared unsmiling,

Then, a terrible thought crossed her mind. She stood up abruptly, her hands balled in fists, her face serious. "Wait, please tell me this isn't one of your tricks to get some time with me. Otherwise, I … I ..."

The very thought made her sick. Deep down in her heart, really really deep down, she felt a little bit flattered that he would go to such lengths to win her affections. But that feeling was crushed immediately and mercilessly.

Klaus didn't know if he should feel offended or amused that she had thought of that possibility. Not that he wouldn't do it if he believed it would have worked. But still, why would she always assume the worst about him? He was tired of having to prove himself to her every single time.

Hiding the hurt and irritation from his face, he was in front of her in the blink of an eye. He stood tall and eerily calm inches away from her. His eyes were now dark blue slits like the sea in the middle of a storm.

Caroline could feel the change in him. She didn't know how she could tell, after all he was the Original Hybrid, emotionless evil monster. Yet, the barely contained rage, the tension in his shoulders, the tightening of his jaws spoke volumes of his feelings.

"Otherwise you will do what?" A small pause to calm down. "I fancy you Caroline." his voice sounded like shards of ice. "But I am not that desperate."


	4. Chapter 4

Caroline and Klaus were staring at each other so intensely that none of them felt the presence a few feet away from them.

They seemed like mortal enemies, waiting for the other to make a wrong move. Yet the atmosphere around them was electrified, the force of the suppressed feelings almost tangible.

A clap of hands broke the unnatural silence that had fallen after Klaus's last declaration. Both of them turned their head towards the source of the noise, utterly surprised to be caught unaware of the intruding presence.

Klaus was the first to react to the interruption. He turned around standing in front of Caroline to cover her from whoever was beyond the barrier.

Caroline was so surprised that she miraculously remained silent. For the first time she was glad that someone else was with her. She was too stubborn to admit she was grateful Klaus was trying to protect her. Yet she let him handle the newcomer.

Klaus tried to concentrate his gaze on the form that was now slowly approaching them. The faint light from the ceiling illuminated a tall feminine figure.

The woman stood a few feet from the barrier, still clapping her hands as if amused by the view of the two captured immortals.

"Well well, if it isn't Romeo and Juliet we have here." she commented with a cool voice.

She was tall, a little overweight and had the body posture of a teacher who has lost her patience with her pupils. She seemed old and young at the same time. Her chocolate-brown hair was cut short, her skin had the pale color of those who do not go often outside.

Klaus was eyeing her with interest. She must have been pretty in her earlier years, but now she only seemed a shadow of her younger self. Not that she was unattractive, it was just that she seemed uninterested in life itself.

If he saw her in the street, he wouldn't have spared a second glance for her. That was until he saw her eyes. They were a rare green color, radiating intelligence and cunning determination. Those eyes held a peculiar power over him, like they were probing for answers. Answers he did not have, unless those ridiculously pink lips posed a question he knew the answer to.

"You have ten seconds to free us and flee this place." Klaus said calmly but his voice resonated authority. If she didn't know already who he was, it was a good hint to learn her place.

"Or you will do what exactly?" she mocked him, her arms crossed before her like she had all the time in the world to keep chatting with a barrier between them.

"I will give you another minute to apologize and free us." he was losing his temper, Caroline could feel the rage emanating from him in waves.

"How about no?" she said with an ironic smile in her face.

Caroline couldn't help a laugh that escaped her lips before she could refrain herself. She had never witnessed someone resisting his orders so arrogantly apart from her. Klaus turned around and his serious gaze told her he did not find any of this entertaining.

"You just signed your death penalty. You cannot say you have not been warned." He said not caring about concealing the menace behind his words. She should be scared of him, no matter the power she thought she had.

"We will see about that." the mysterious woman answered unimpressed by the threats of the original hybrid.

Caroline knew they were in trouble and she tried to get on the woman's good side. She got in front of Klaus pushing him aside in a way that said _Let me handle this_.

And he let her, trying to keep his composure before deciding what to do.

"Excuse my friend over here. It's just that kidnapping is not his favorite pass time." She smiled to the woman who looked at her as if bored. She was sure Klaus would tease her later for calling him a _friend_. But that would have to wait. "Why are we here? Whatever problem you have we can find a solution. Please, just let us go."

The woman stared at Caroline with curiosity now. The girl was beautiful, strong and determined. But she was part of her plans so setting her free was out of discussion. Or at least not yet.

"You don't seem to understand Caroline. You are both here for a reason, so letting you go is not an option."

Caroline was taken aback. "How do you know my name?"

All the while Klaus remained silent, trying to figure out who was this woman and what did she want from them.

"I've done my homework." she simply stated without another explanation.

"What do you want from us? What have we done to offend you?" Caroline was beginning to panic. She could see the determination in the other woman's eyes and that frightened her.

Caroline thought that now that she was a vampire she would no longer be afraid of anything. Yet she found herself trembling with uncertainty for her life, for her future.

She turned to Klaus, surprised to see him standing there, a vision of calmness and tranquility. But his eyes were dark. She didn't know him well, but she could tell he was on evil monster mode. His reactions were unpredictable and unfortunately she would be there when the storm would break free.

"You have done nothing to me. Klaus on the other hand ..." she turned her gaze to the hybrid daring him to answer.

"I do not remember you." he said calmly. "But now that you crossed my path and after this stupid stunt, I will not forget and neither will you. You will regret the moment I learned your name." He took two steps forward now standing inches away from the barrier. "You and everyone you ever loved."

"Klaus!" Caroline's breath caught in her throat.

She was seeing him now in his true form. He was no longer the handsome hybrid with the captivating British accent that would court her and cover her with gifts and drawings. He was the Devil, intent on wreaking havoc on this careless woman.

Caroline knew how he had punished Katherine by slaughtering her entire family. She had seen how he repaid betrayal, the trail of innocent victims he left behind. For once she was glad he was not her enemy.

The woman seemed unfazed by the promise of death. Her eyes grew dark till they were fully covered in black. Her face now seemed almost white, the contrast with the black eyes intimidating.

Caroline gasped in terror and retreated a few steps, taking cover behind Klaus's back. He had not flinched, his body tense like a spring ready to fire.

"My name is Bettie Thompson." she replied dryly, her voice now sounding like coming from a grave. "You should remember me Klaus."

No matter how much he searched his memories, there was nothing there to indicate he had ever crossed paths with this crazy woman.

"Why should I, darling?" he replied just as dryly. It was a fight of wills, he would stand his ground until he found more about her.

For a moment Bettie seemed to lose her composure. Rage, maddness, fear showed on her face only to disappear again in the blink of an eye.

"You should remember killing my family right in front of my eyes. My husband and my two little daughters." Caroline turned to look at the woman, devastated by her ordeal, but she found no tears in those hard slits that were shooting death glares at Klaus.

"Why did he do it? Why didn't he kill you too?" Caroline had to get the answers. For some reason she felt that if Klaus had a good reason for killing those people, she could handle to stand in the same room with him.

_Is there ever a good reason to slaughter innocent children?_ She asked herself not believing how stupid she was for trying to find excuses not to loathe him.

"Yes Klaus, please answer to her. I am dying to know why you did it." Bettie's voice was now louder.

Klaus was still trying to retrieve the memory from the corridors of his mind. He didn't know this face, but it was probably many years ago. And then, like a sudden flash of light in the middle of the night, he was once again there, in the middle of that small room.

He had killed the family, blood sprayed everywhere, on his hands, on his face, on his clothes. The woman, quite different from what she looked now, stood terrified and frozen in denial, not accepting the tragedy unfolded before her eyes.

She had begged for him to kill her too. _No witch, you will live to remember the terror of this day. You shouldn't have tried to kill my brother._

Caroline could tell that Klaus remembered and so did Bettie. The smile that spread across her face showed that her mind bordered on madness.

"I'm glad that you remembered Klaus. This will be so much fun." And with those words she turned around and left the room just as quickly as she had appeared.


	5. Chapter 5

Caroline was never good at staying silent, yet now she was at a loss for words. Klaus had still his back turned on her, staring intently at something beyond her field of vision.

What had just happened? She needed an explanation, but was afraid to ask for one. Somehow she feared Klaus was not in the mood to talk to anyone, not even her.

Klaus's mind was racing to a thousand directions. No matter how hard he tried to come up with a rescue plan, the only coherent thought in his mind was that now she knew.

_She knew what? That he was a cold-blooded murderer? _He sighed in resignation, this was no news to her. What was bothering him was that this knowledge had never before weighed so much on his shoulders.

"What is it?" she found the courage to ask, otherwise she would explode trying to contain all the questions rushing to her tongue.

"I think I know where we are." he replied after a few seconds surprising her.

"And you know that simply by staring at the dark for a few minutes?" it wasn't her intention to mock him, it was just that his self-control was getting at her nerves.

Klaus turned his head and looked at her with raised eyebrows, but didn't comment on her remark.

"No love, I was listening to the sounds beyond that door. I think I recognized ... lets say a pet of mine roaming the property."

"A pet of yours? You mean a hybrid? And?" she was getting impatient.

"No, I don't mean a hybrid. There are no hybrids left, a courtesy of your boyfriend. And I think you are perfectly capable of asking politely what is it that you want to know." he responded making it clear he wouldn't say another word if she continued with her attitude.

"Fine." she crossed her hands in front of her, still talking to his back. "Could you please tell me where the hell she is keeping us? And could you please face me when we talk?"

Normally he would be amused by her change in tactic, but he seemed to travel miles away from there. Yet he turned around and faced her. His eyes were now the cold blue of a winter morning sky. Unreadable and distant, they locked with hers. And somehow Caroline thought it was a mistake to ask him to face her.

"I believe we are being kept at the basement of my mansion." Now he could see why the place had seemed so familiar in the beginning. It reminded him of his wine cellar that was situated in another part of the property.

_He must be joking, right? _"Are you kidding me? We are at your mansion? We are as good as dead. No one will ever look for us here." She was about to say _look for me _but decided to rephrase at the last moment to not offend him.

He didn't reply because he had nothing to add to her comment. It was the truth, it would be the last place to search.

Caroline started pacing nervously through the room. Her thoughts were a mess, she didn't know what to do with the little information she had. But she knew she wanted to know about the incident that caused this crazy adventure.

"Klaus, tell me what happened." she said, her voice demanding, yet gentle enough to make him want to respond.

Klaus was not sure if he wanted to go down memory lane, but she had the right to know. After all it was his fault that she was dragged in the middle of this hurricane. And he had a bad feeling none of them would escape unscathed.

He sat on the bed and motioned for her to do the same. She refused to sit and moved to stand in front of him, leaning on the cold wall. She felt she was going to need the support.

"It must have been a hundred years ago in LA." his voice was distant, like he was living the same scene again.

"Near a century? She didn't look that old to me." Caroline commented unable to keep silent.

"She is a witch, they know a trick or two to delay time." he said absent-mindedly. "Bettie belonged to a coven of witches who had been causing trouble in my city." he sighed, memories rushing back much to his great dislike.

"Is there any witch that you actually like?" She interrupted again as if she was deliberately delaying the slaughtering of the innocents part.

"Not that I recall. Do you want me to get to the end of the story or not?" He was losing his resolve to shed light to the mystery for her sake.

"I'm sorry, please continue. I promise not to interrupt you again." she placed her right hand above her heart solemnly, but they both knew that was a promise she wouldn't, couldn't keep.

"We had reached a mutual agreement to keep out of each other's business. As long as we didn't cross that line, things were fine. Until the little greedy witches decided it was time for a shift in the power balance." He looked everywhere in the room except for her eyes.

"What did they do?" She blurted out before she could stop. If he was irritated, he didn't show it.

"They tried to kill my brother." He sighed heavily as if bored. "As you can guess they failed miserably. Retribution came by my hand and it was not a pretty sight." He admitted. His usual arrogance when speaking of his terrible deeds was now somewhat diminished. "Most of the witches were eliminated. The lucky ones had a swift death. Bettie was not one of them. I ... I slaughtered her family before her to punish her."

Caroline already knew the outcome, but hearing him describe it in such simple words made her nautious.

"Why did you have to kill her family? Wasn't it enough to kill her?" She asked unable to control her trembling voice.

"I wanted to make an example of her. You don't mess with the Originals without consequences." He stated with a blank look, but steady voice. "Would the sin be forgivable if I killed the witch, but spared her family?"

"Of course not. But they were innocents caught in the fire." She was hyperventilating now. "They were just kids. How could you?" She asked now tears barely contained in the corner of her eyes.

"Indeed they were. I didn't feel joy when I killed them. Actually I didn't feel anything. I was blinded by rage and wanted to make my point clear."

"Which brother?" she asked numbed.

"I beg your pardon?" he didn't understand her question. What did it have to do with what happened?

"Which of your brothers did they try to kill?" The hate was beginning to sip into her voice but she didn't care if he took notice of it.

"Kol." He was dead serious when he pronounced the name. Pain lingered in the hard planes of his face, his lips tightened to a thin line.

Caroline gasped. She covered her mouth unable to process the information and the implications it brought to light. It wasn't long ago that her friends had killed Kol. And Klaus was there. She had experienced his wrath up close and personal. And then he cured her because he had still a hint of humanity left.

She remembered his pain, his revenge cost her her boyfriend. He said that he showed compassion, forgiveness and pity for her sake.

But how could he be so cruel? Those children had no one to speak up for them, to beg for them. Her tears were now flowing freely and she didn't care if her ruined make-up made her look like a freak.

His love now tainted her. She was a monster and yet he showed mercy because of her. Those little girls were innocent angels and yet nothing could save them. Did she deserve to live more than them? Did Tyler deserve a second chance more than them?

The answer made her choke and she sped out of the room without a word.


	6. Chapter 6

Klaus was faster than her. He blocked her way and she almost lost her balance. Klaus held her gently from her shoulders to steady her.

Caroline shivered at the touch. At that moment she didn't want him to touch her, she didn't even want to look him in the eye. He was a monster and she felt stupid for forgetting that, for wanting to forget that.

"Let go of me." she cried over-pronouncing each word.

Klaus seemed to think about it for the briefest moment and then slowly removed his hands.

"Talk to me Caroline." he said quietly in that soothing voice of his. He could feel that he was losing her.

"What is there to talk about Klaus?" she wanted to scream at him and probably was.

If looks could kill, he would be a dead hybrid. Her eyes were shooting daggers at him. He had seen it before, the disappointment, the detesting, even the hate.

But now it was so much worse. Hate he could cope with, but he didn't know how to deal with hurt. Why did she look so devastated? It wasn't the first time she had heard of the monstrosities he had committed in his long senseless existence.

"She finally found a way to destroy me." he said calmly as realization hit him like lightning.

"I thought the only thing that could kill you was a white oak stake. Where did Bettie find one when we couldn't?" She didn't even try to hide the fact that now she would gladly stake him without blinking.

"Who said anything about killing?" he whispered, sadness darkening his handsome features before removing himself from her way.

Caroline grabbed the opportunity and sped out of the room. She entered her room and banged at the door who wouldn't close since she had ripped it of the hinges earlier.

She slumped in her narrow bed like a dead weight. She felt old and exhausted, a weird restlessness coming over her.

What was it that he said just before she walked away? She was confused but she thought he mentioned some way to kill him. If it came from Bettie's hand it would only be divine justice.

She couldn't shake the feeling of something being torn from her chest. It made no sense. She should be concerned with escaping from this hellhole instead of mourning some long lost souls.

Why was the tragic fate of those children so important to her? Not long ago she herself killed twelve witches to save Bonnie. Was she any better than Klaus just because she hadn't killed any children? Or was her reason for that action more acceptable than his?

It was at least disturbing to acknowledge the fact she felt devastated because for a few moments she let herself believe he was capable of being saved. Now she wasn't so sure anymore. And that hurt.

She closed her eyes trying to ignore the restless pacing from his room. It would be difficult to sleep, not because she wasn't tired, but because she was afraid of dreaming.

* * *

Klaus continued staring ahead in the darkness. It was a lost battle. Caroline would never forget his past and never forgive him for what he had done. She was slowly slipping farther away from his grip.

It was clear his reasons held no meaning for her. He could understand her view of the world and it pained him that they weren't on the same side.

_I am evil, she is pure. Even if the Devil gave us a chance, I would only end up breaking her. _And he didn't want that. What a terrible situation. No matter what he did, one of them would get hurt.

After an hour or so of pacing through the small place, he finally lay down on his bed. He placed his arm over his eyes as if it would chase away the past that haunted him.

A blood-chilling shriek woke him from a troubled sleep. It took him less than two seconds to realize where it was coming from.

Even though he wasn't sure if Caroline wanted to see him just yet, he went to her room with normal speed not wanting to freak her out by appearing instantly beside her.

He even knocked on the poor excuse of her door to let her know he was coming in. For some reason there was no light in her room.

Still he could make out her figure, hugging her knees to her chest and trembling. Probably a nightmare and he had a good idea of what caused that anguish.

"Caroline, what happened?" He couldn't hide the concern from his voice.

She looked at him terrified. Then she pointed her right index to one of the far dark corners of the room.

"There are rats in my room." she whispered as if afraid the monstrous creatures would hear her and come out of their hiding places.

He was surprised. He thought she would vent her anger at him for causing her nightmares, but she was freaked out over some rats? _Girls_ ... he sighed.

"I see no rats there, love" he tried to reassure her to no avail.

"I know what I saw. I am not crazy."

"No one said otherwise sweetheart. You want me to kill the rats?" He felt like a stupid young man trying to impress his frightened girlfriend.

"I don't want you to kill anyone or anything on my behalf." she was angry now. Killing was his first instinct, damn him.

_Real smooth you idiot. _He scolded himself for reminding her of the killings.

"All right then. Go to my room." He ordered not leaving her a choice. "You can leave the light on day and night and close the door."

She cursed her bad luck. Of all the stupid things that could happen to her, she had to get locked in this God forsaken place with the Original Hybrid.

"I am not staying in the same room with you." She was still upset about his past, she hadn't forgiven him and wasn't sure she was going to in the near future. Manipulating her through small acts of kindness would not get him anywhere.

"That much is obvious love. I didn't say we are staying in the same room. We will switch rooms." He concluded with surprising self-control.

Caroline was surprised at this turn of events. She was mentally prepared to fight him, but he removed that precious tension release. She studied him very quickly. There was something different about him, but she couldn't tell what it was.

She dismissed the thought as she sped out of the room and planted herself on his bed trying to avoid touching ground. It was not that she was afraid of rats, it was that she didn't like the idea of those disgusting little rodents moving over her sleeping form.

Klaus followed her to his former room. He didn't seem very amused with the change of plans but said nothing. He searched the room for any signs of rats and then turned to Caroline. "I think you are alone in this room. Leave the light on."

Caroline nodded, not wanting to thank him yet. She didn't intend to talk to him but those damn creatures surprised her before she could stop herself.

She suddenly felt a shiver running down her spine. It was probably because she was leaning with her back on the cold wall all this time. She wore a light sundress that could not protect her from the cold. Klaus on the other hand still wore a light jacket over a white linen shirt.

When he saw the way the lovely blonde was hugging her body he knew she would rather die of cold than ask for his jacket. It would be fun to watch her succumb to this basic need and ask something of him. But she was too proud to do that. And he was too tired to start a new battle over something so trivial.

Caroline watched Klaus take off his jacket. _Perfect, now he will strip down just to boast about his great physique_. Unwillingly the images of a shirtless original filled her mind fueling her anger. She shook her head to chase away the offending remains of a forbidden fantasy.

She still had a boyfriend, even if this horrible hybrid exiled him from his hometown. The alternative was much worse, but this didn't make things easier for her. She decided she had no right nor did she desire this arrogant man.

Klaus saw Caroline shake her head as if she was fighting an invisible enemy. He did not comment, he knew his presence was not welcome here. He simply extended his arm towards her and motioned with his head to the piece of cloth that would help her maintain her body temperature to a more comfortable level.

Caroline was about to refuse his offer, she did not need anything coming from him. She was just fine by herself. It was his fault they were trapped in here. She was a vampire, she would not die from pneumonia. Still the cold was biting into her bones and she hated feeling helpless. She considered his help for a while and then, being the logic woman that she was, she grabbed the jacket avoiding like hell any physical contact with Klaus.

He laughed bitterly at the lengths she would go just to stay away from him.

"Relax love, I don't bite." he said trying to sound as charming as he could. They were in a difficult position and he didn't want her to be in the defensive.

"Really Klaus? You do bite and quite ferociously I would say." she retorted tilting her head to the side. She remembered one particular bite quite too well, the agonizing pain from the infection draining all her strength.

_Brilliant choice of words_, Klaus scolded himself. Of course she would remember the awful bite when her gang killed his brother Kol.

"Let me rephrase it then. I won't bite." he said in an attempt to make peace. She was charming when she was fighting him, but he no longer found those moments fascinating. They had more emergent things to consider.

Caroline knew how to pick her battles. There was no need to confront him about being a monster.

"I'll accept your offer but this doesn't mean you win." she said. She took the jacket and quickly put it around her shoulders.

She already felt better. The jacket was not thick, still it managed to cover her body with a surprising warmth. She avoided thinking that he wore it just a few minutes earlier. It just seemed too intimate, though no one would blame her for accepting it.

The lingering scent of its owner on the jacket made her uncomfortable. It felt like he was too close to her, like he was holding her in his warm embrace. And she would never allow such a thing. She dismissed the thought and tried to think of anything other than the irritating blonde hybrid.

"You're welcome." he said simply acknowledging the fact that she would not be easy to cope with. "We are not in a contest love."

Her competitive nature kicked in. They were not in a contest because he was afraid of losing, she decided. Knowing that if that were true, she would probably lose she became irritated at him. Even the calm of his face angered her. Everything about him made her want to wipe that smirk from his face.

"Stop calling me love. It annoys me and you have no right to say it." she pressed her lips together like an angered child.

He smiled at her knowing that she would find something else to scold him about. She blamed him for this misfortune and now it was beginning to show.

"I didn't mean to annoy you. It's a term of endearment and you know that I fancy you." He said knowing full well that if she had found something to throw at him at that moment, he would have to duck.

"You may call me by my name as any other enemy would do." she said stubbornly.

_She still considers me her enemy_, he thought unable to fight the bitterness that crept to his heart. So be it. He would not beg for her forgiveness. He was who he was, if she couldn't accept it there was no future for them.

"Fine Caroline, as you wish." he admitted, his voice sounding a bit harsh. Then he turned to leave the room.

_Not good, even when he says my name it sounds like a caress. Must be the accent. _Caroline was determined to keep herself in check. These most disturbing thoughts she was having must be a consequence of their adventure, nothing more. He could call her whatever he liked. Accent or not he was still evil.

"You say you fancy me but you would sacrifice me for your ritual." she barked from across the room. How could she forget?

Klaus stopped in his tracks and turned once again to face her. "You did notice I had another vampire, didn't you?" he answered not losing his temper.

"That was your plan B because Damon saved me and Tyler. Would you still have let me go if it weren't for his intervention?"

"You think that after decades of planning for my ritual I would have a plan B but would have left my main sacrifices unguarded and unattended?" he commented keeping his voice remarkably steady. There was no way to convince her by screaming at her.

This found Caroline unprepared. She was eternally grateful to Damon for saving her but she never stopped to consider why it had been so easy. She was just glad she was still alive. But now his words made her believe that other forces were at work that night.

"Still, you bit me knowing it would be fatal. The fact you healed me afterwards means nothing." she was too stubborn to admit he cared for her. And he could not deny he had done those cruel things to her.

The way she pronounced that _nothing_ felt like a conviction at court. He was found guilty. It pained him to see that she still loathed him.

"I am truly sorry about that Caroline. Of course killing my brother is no offence to your eyes, but it did mess with my self-control." he admitted, starting to get tired of trying to win her appreciation.

He did not need her approval for anything. He was in love with her, but would not be made a toy in her hands. He was a mighty original hybrid, he had no need for baby vampires admiring him.

Caroline thought for a moment about his last declaration. She was a lonely child so she could only imagine the anguish of losing a brother. Even though he had daggered his siblings countless times, he did care about them.

He carried the coffins wherever he went. It might not be love, but pure obsession. Yet she remembered the pain in his eyes when he saw his brother's burnt corpse. His fierce cry spoke volumes of his feelings, but he was a monster, right? He had no feelings, he was not human.

There was no point now in trying to set the score. They were not friends and would never be nothing more than enemies. She should be thankful that she and her friends were still alive after killing Kol. Bettie had payed dearly for just attempting to kill him.

_"_Good night Caroline._"_ he said just as coldly as he left the room without another glance.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Every now and then I feel the need to thank you all for your support and encouragement :-)**_

* * *

The creaky sound of a rusty door echoed through the basement. This was not the best way to wake up from a nightmare only to find yourself in a worse reality.

Caroline got out of bed and, closing Klaus's jacket around her body, tried to see who was the newcomer. She hoped it was Bettie. Even though she was one creepy woman, the idea of someone else involved in this story terrified her even more.

If it was just one desperate to get revenge mother, Caroline hoped she could talk her into letting her go. She was just an innocent bystander, just like her daughters were. This was her only chance.

She wondered what Klaus was doing. No matter how much she tried to listen to the noises around her, no sounds came from the other room. He was either completely immobile or ... oh god ... had he escaped and left her there alone?

Caroline felt the cruel claws of doubt gnawing at her heart. Panic was a few heartbeats away. How could she be so stupid? She should have kept an eye on him. The bloody hybrid had probably escaped during the night. She was now completely alone, at the mercy of a crazy woman.

The rage building inside her chest made her reckless. The only thing she wanted now was to kill him. No gentle stake through the heart, no sir. Painful torture for hours and hours, vervain and wolvesbayne tea for the brute and then ...

She couldn't control herself and his name escaped her lips laced in venom and hatred. "Klaaaaaaauuuuuuuusssssss".

"Yes Caroline?" the gentle whisper came from behind her, close enough to make her jump like she had been stabbed.

The relief she felt when she saw him standing right next to her was so intense that she almost ran into his arms. Those incredibly beautiful blue grey eyes were now looking at her, no emotion showing on his handsome face.

She should have known better than to jump to conclusions like that. He would never ...

"I ... for a moment I thought you had left and abandoned me here all alone." she mumbled feeling guilty for her previous thoughts.

"You should know by now that I would never abandon you to such a fate." he said solemnly. "But then, why would you rely on an enemy?"

She didn't think calling him an enemy would end up hurting his feelings. She had called him names hundreds of times before, why did he pick the worst possible moment to feel offended? Not that it mattered, she didn't need him. She was perfectly able to protect herself.

"You're right, you mean no more to me than any other monster I've met in my life. I am sorry to have considered even for a moment that you were something more." she turned to look now at whoever had entered the basement and was watching silently their little encounter.

Klaus's jaw tightened to a point that he could hear his teeth grinding. She was unbelievable, one minute looking at him as a savior, the next reducing him to a piece of garbage on the sole of her boot.

For a moment the wolf inside of him wanted to punish her for her insolence, but that was only a lapse in self-control. He ignored the mixed feelings the blonde beauty caused him.

"Hello Bettie." He called to the witch who was silently watching from the shadows. "I trust you slept well last night despite the fact that you will soon come to realize what a huge mistake this is."

Klaus was standing in the middle of the room now, Caroline on his right and Bettie a few feet away.

Today she was dressed in a floral dress with a red light jacket on top of it. She would look like a normal middle-aged woman to anyone who saw her on the street. No one could guess at the evil intentions under that innocent look.

"I see you have lost none of your charms." she said to Klaus enjoying teasing him. Oh, she would take her sweet time in making him suffer like she did.

"This is something between me and you. Let the vampire go." Klaus didn't think it would work, but he had to try nonetheless. Caroline might push him to the edge, but he couldn't bear the thought of her being hurt.

_The Vampire? Seriously? Now she was just a no-name vampire? _He would pay for this.

"Excuse me, but this vampire has a name. C-A-R-O-L-I-N-E." she spelled the name like she was talking to four-year olds. God he was so infuriating.

_Damn, couldn't she keep her mouth shut for a change? _Klaus knew that Bettie was no fool and Caroline would end up paying for his sins. She was just too stubborn to play along with him.

"A name that is insignificant to me." He replied with superb indifference.

This caught Caroline unprepared. It was like he was a totally different person. Was his ego hurt so much that he was paying her back? Stupid man.

"Now why would I do that? Our little blonde friend seems to be your weakness." Bettie concluded.

"What do you want from us except for showing up like a pervert while we're sleeping?" Caroline snapped at the witch. She was done playing.

"An impatient and arrogant one. Tsk tsk tsk ... I thought you were more sophisticated with your women Klaus." A peculiar smile made Bettie's face look like she was in pain. Probably she had forgotten how to smile, she had no reason to anymore.

"Everyone makes mistakes. Call it boredom. I had nothing better to do in this small hell hole of a town." he replied nonchalantly. "Lets get down to business, shall we? What do you want?"

Caroline hated it when people talked about her like she wasn't even present. She had a bad feeling about this, so she kept her mouth shut.

Klaus looked relaxed and even bored, but Caroline could sense the tension in his broad shoulders. He could fool Bettie, but not her. Not that she was an expert on him really.

"Oh I see." Bettie said with a pensive look on her face. "So she means nothing to you?"

"Not really. Just another pretty face." He hoped he was a good actor.

"So you wouldn't mind me doing this." She said and in the blink of an eye Caroline was screaming. She held her head with both hands, unable to breathe through the inhuman pain. She slammed on the bed writhing in agony for what seemed like a century.

Klaus summoned all the self-control gained from a millenium of practice just to stay still. He wanted to rip the witch from limb to limb. Caroline's screams were like daggers to his heart. But if he wanted to save her, he should stay out of it.

"No, I don't mind. It's just that I can't stand the squeaking and the screaming. But hey, don't let me spoil the fun." He added without even a glance towards the suffering blonde.

Bettie was surprised. She believed that Klaus would run to Caroline's side to protect her. Not that he could do anything to stop the pain, but it would show that he had feelings for the girl.

Yet here he was, looking like he didn't even notice her presence at all. Was he bluffing to confuse her or did he really not care about the girl? His expression was unreadable, his eyes burning with a fire she no longer feared. She had nothing to lose and they would see if it applied to him as well.

The pain stopped just as abruptly as it started. Caroline was left panting on the bed. Tears fell from her eyes without her realizing it.

_He left me here in pain. He doesn't care about me. _She couldn't tell what hurt the most: the spell from the damn witch or his rejection.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise. He was an emotionless monster who finally confessed his love for her. And all she did was reject him. Then why did it hurt so much being rejected in return? He wasn't her knight in shining armor, she didn't let him be.

Bettie made a move towards Caroline's direction. "I am sorry dear. It seems there was a fault in my plan." She sighed dramatically and produced Caroline's cell phone from her pocket.

Caroline grew tense, unable to predict what Bettie would say and do. All she knew was that she felt lonelier than ever.

"I was watching you all these months and I would've sworn there was something between you two." She leaned on something they couldn't clearly see and continued talking all the while weaving the cell phone like a toy. "That's why I thought to use you to get to him."

Klaus's heart sank. He could tell his little act didn't work. He still hoped to find a way.

Bettie continued to talk to Caroline, a predator's look on her face. "That's why I called Elena and told her that you left town with your lover, Klaus."

She paused to let the dumbstruck girl process what she had just told her. Her words were more efficient than any spell, she could see it from Caroline's expression.

"You did what? How could you fool her? Elena would never believe that I ran off with him." She couldn't even bring herself to say his name.

Klaus remained silent. He knew how much Caroline cared about what others thought of her. She would never forgive him for ruining her relationship with her best friend, even if it wasn't his fault.

"I am a witch, I can do whatever I want." She pressed a little button and Caroline's voice filled the room.

Caroline heard her own voice telling with a matter-of-factly tone to Elena that she would finally embrace her true desires. She wanted Klaus and she would have him, nothing else mattered.

Her eyes were so wide in surprise that she thought they would pop out of their sockets. The witch had recorded the conversation and Elena seemed to have believed her. They had exchanged a few harsh words and Caroline burst in tears when she realized what her friend would think of her.

Klaus had killed Jenna and Caroline had told Elena that it wasn't her problem. She loved Klaus and she wanted to see the world with him. Even if it was Bettie that said those words, Elena had no way of knowing it. She believed she was betrayed by her best friend.

Caroline's heart would have stopped if it was still beating. Ever since Klaus came into their life, they had been nothing but pawns. He didn't care who got hurt in the process. He didn't care for her. The witch was wrong, yet the damage was done.

"My friends will never believe it. They will come for me." she said more in a vain attempt to convince herself rather than the witch.

"Are you sure? Cause I don't see any calls on your cell phone. Just a message from your mother. But even she got tired of you it seems."

Caroline had been wondering if her friends would notice that she had been missing for nearly two days now. She imagined the gang gathering at the Salvatore boarding house and making plans to rescue her.

But now she wasn't so sure. If Elena had thought she was talking to her, they didn't have a reason to search for her. They might even be happy to get rid of the original hybrid. She felt so alone, so insignificant at that moment. Even her best friend couldn't tell the difference.

So they all believed that she was a selfish creature that would only care to satisfy her lust. That would explain why there had been no attempt to save her.

Ohhh how much she wanted to die. No no no, she wanted to kill the only one responsible for this. It didn't surprise her that the hatred she felt for Klaus was suddenly multiplied like a fire spreading in a field. He always stirred in her such strong emotions. She used to be confused about her feelings but not anymore.

Klaus closed his eyes for a minute. God only knew how much he wanted to hear those words from her lips. But now he knew it would never come to pass. His dream was shattered by her tears.

When he looked at her, all he could see in those eyes was pure loathing. He'd rather be blind than witness such despise and hate where he only wanted to see love.

"I'll leave you two love birds to catch up." Bettie said and left the room laughing in amusement. Her plan was simple genius.

"Well played witch." Klaus said. "You just destroyed me. Now you will meet evil me. That's a promise."


	8. Chapter 8

Klaus kept saying that Bettie destroyed him, but the only one that was really destroyed here was her.

Caroline didn't even want to think about what the witch had done. Somehow she was always the one to pay the bill. And it always started with a certain hybrid.

Everyone knew he had feelings for her, though she thought it was more of a game than anything. Because what could a thousand years old original vampire who had seen the world more than once possibly find in her that stirred feelings in his frozen heart?

But the point here was not his feelings, but hers. The problem was that she was caught in the middle.

She couldn't deny that she was attracted to Klaus, he was a very handsome man and any woman who was available would be a fool not to want him. Until he killed one or two persons she knew and that would be the end of the story.

_Caroline, available is the __keyword_, her mind was shouting at her. But there was no need for that, she was just stating the obvious. It was not like she was admitting anything. She still loved Tyler, everybody knew that too. Right?

A sudden wave of insecurity flooded her mind and soul. Did Elena really believe that lie? What would her mother think of her?

She and Liz had struggled hard to resolve their issues and had finally reached a good place where there was love, understanding and acceptance. And now her mother would believe that she ran off with the evil man who had caused so much trouble to everyone they knew.

Caroline could imagine the look of disappointment in her mother's eyes. She wouldn't say much, but would throw herself at work in an even more insane schedule.

Her friends would think of her as a cheap, betraying bitch who only cared about herself. They had used her as bait on more than one occasion when they needed something from Klaus. It wouldn't take much for them to believe that she had succumbed to his charm. Only that she hadn't, she was smarter than that.

They would think she and Klaus were enjoying the warm sun in a lovely bistro alongside Seine. Or travelling to exotic places where nature's beauty surpassed everything manmade. Or flying to Rome and seeing all the marvels of old and the museums, all that art and perfection just waiting for them to explore. Or ...

She stopped herself before choosing the next destination. He had offered her the world and she had declined the offer. Still everyone she cared would believe she was selfish and chose that over her friends. So now she was left without the world and without her friends and family.

She was alone and eternity was too much to be faced alone. No goodbyes, no explanations. She went from best friend and ally to no more than a gossip when they would be bored. They would stop talking about her not wanting to open old wounds. Eventually they would forget about her. She was missing but no one would cry for her. She was supposed to live wildly and enjoy her new love.

She looked around. How ironic. She was locked in this place with the man she was supposed to have chosen over her old life. He had his back turned on her, not even a look of compassion for her.

There were times when she caught herself wondering what would happen if she took him up on his offer. Would it be the same as in her dreams or would she lose interest in all that? Somehow she believed that it would be epic, but it was only a fantasy from an alternate universe. In this universe, in this moment in time, they were enemies brought together by a crazy witch.

Klaus did not want to look at Caroline. He could hear her almost silent sobs and it angered him to know he was causing those tears. It was not deliberate, though he would have wasted no time if only she had agreed to see the world with him.

If she hated him before when she learned about him killing Bettie's daughters just to make his point, he couldn't dare to guess what she was feeling right now. But he needn't guess. He knew.

She blamed him for losing her friends. In her mind, it was the end of the world if they thought she escaped with him of all available men on the world. Was it really so tragic or was she being overdramatic? It didn't matter. If she felt so, there was no point in arguing if it was true.

Bettie's plan was simply genius. If he hadn't seen Caroline's reaction, he would have laughed and complimented the witch for her insight. But now he would see to it that she paid for what she caused.

The witch knew there was no way to kill him, she was not powerful enough to immobilize or incapacitate him. So she chose to make him suffer by turning the only person that mattered against him. He took away what she loved most in the world. She was doing the same. It was such a simple plan. And it was working to perfection.

* * *

Silence fell in the parlor of the Salvatore boarding house. No one wanted to be the first to voice their thoughts.

Elena was sitting on the couch, traces of dried tears still evident on her face. Bonnie was sitting next to her, lost in her thoughts. The girls were holding hands as if trying to console one another.

Stefan was sitting in a chair across them looking just as grim. Caroline was his best friend, covering the huge void Lexi left behind. He couldn't believe she ran off with Klaus of all people. One could not choose who to love, but she could at least prepare him for this. Simply vanishing like this left them without closure.

Damon was pouring burbon in his favorite glass. He somehow seemed the only one to not think this was the end of the world. Matt was sitting on the couch opposite Stefan, unable to say anything.

The unspoken words lay heavy in the atmosphere, but no one was brave enough to start. It was like they were mourning her loss.

"Way to go Blondie." Damon said raising his glass as if in a toast.

"Damon!" Stefan tried to warn his brother, but they both knew it was pointless.

"What?" He raised an eyebrow as if surprised. Stefan the righteous did not want to discuss this, but then why were they gathered there like conspirators?

"I can't believe she did this to us." Elena said with a hoarse voice. "After all we've been through because of him ..." she hated the Original so much at that moment that even the feeling of his name on her lips made her sick.

Bonnie squized her hand gently in support, but said nothing. What could she say to express how she felt? Disappointed? Betrayed? Hurt that her best friend did not share such an important decision with her?

"Maybe she was afraid we would judge her." Matt said. He wanted to kill Klaus for ruining Caroline's life, but if she was happy he was sure that he would find a way to forgive her. It was just that the others would need a lot of time to accept it.

"Matt, I want nothing more than for Caroline to be happy, you know that." Elena turned to face him. "But I know that Klaus is a monster and she will never be happy by his side."

"How can you be so sure?" Damon asked her sounding a bit more irritated than he intended to, surprising Elena.

He didn't like the idea of vampire Barbie being with that schizophrenic hybrid, but deep down he felt a hint of hope. It meant that even the bad guys had hopes to win the girl. He loved Elena but he couldn't be sure her feelings were not a result of the sire bond. No matter how hard he tried to make her happy, he would always be compared to his perfect brother. But if Klaus could find love ...

"Because he is a psycho bent on spreading death wherever he goes. And Caroline is nothing like that." she replied.

What in the world was wrong with him? Why was he supporting Caroline's and Klaus's escape? It wasn't romantic, it was dangerous and her friend would be the one to get hurt in the end. Plus, if she wanted to be honest with herself, she felt betrayed. Klaus had killed Jenna and her, even though she was later revived by the sacrifice of her biological father.

Elena knew that it sounded selfish, but that was how she felt. It was like Caroline was only thinking of her own feelings. And how did this happen? When did she realize she loved Klaus enough to give up her old life for the unknown? Why hadn't she confided in her? It was true that when she turned her humanity off their friendship was put to test.

She never thought she would lose her friend like this. It was not an accident, it was not illness. She couldn't cope with it. Caroline was in love with Klaus. How unbelievable. They had pushed her in that path, Elena knew it. And now they had fallen in their own trap.

Elena wondered if there were any signs she had ignored because she was too busy dealing with Silas and all the turmoil in her own life. She looked at Bonnie for a clue.

"I know what he is. But if she loves him, there must be some good in that bastard after all." Damon concluded not wanting to admit that it was very unlikely that such an evil person deserved to be loved.

Elena ignored Damon's comment. It was odd enough that he supported their decision, but she felt that he was alluding to another situation altogether. And she was not ready to deal with that at that moment. "Bonnie, did she say anything to you?"

Bonnie declined, sadness all over her face. She squeezed her mind for a hint, tried to remember when she last saw Caroline, but no mentions of epic love came up.

"Nothing. I am sure I would have remembered something as big as this."

Stefan had said nothing so far. He was still processing the facts and he felt that they were missing something.

"Elena, are you sure it was Caroline on the phone? What did she say? Could she have been compelled?" He tried to sound as calm as he could, but Elena tensed at his questions.

"She was on vervain Stefan. And of course I am sure, we grew up together." Thank God no one pointed out the fact that despite claiming to know Caroline so well, she didn't know about her feelings for Klaus.

For the fourth time Elena gave a brief description of her conversation with her best friend.

_"Elena, it's me Caroline. I need to talk to you about something."_

_"What is it Care? You sound a little strange."_

_"Look, there is no easy way for me to say this, so I'm just gonna say it."_

_"You're scaring me Care, what's going on?"_

_"I ... I finally realized I am in love with Klaus. We are leaving Mystic Falls tonight, we are going to see the world and enjoy our love away from those who do not understand."_

_"Oh my GOD ... are you insane? What about Tyler? You can't go away with Klaus. He is a monster.__"_

_"Oh ... very supportive of you. And who is not a monster among us? I am perfectly sane. I knew you wouldn't understand."_

_"No Care, I understand. But how did it happen? I mean ... he killed my aunt, he killed Tyler's mom. How can you forgive him?"_

_"How did you fall in love with Damon? He sure as hell used me as a toy, he killed Lexi and he turned Bonnie's mom into a vampire. Yet you love him, don't you?"_

_"I .. it's .."_

_"Don't you dare say it's different, because it's not. You know what? I don't expect you to understand. I want to be with him and nothing you can say will change my mind. I just wanted you to know. There is no need for goodbyes. When you are ready to accept my choice, we will talk again. Give my love to everyone."_

It was painful for Elena to relive that awful moment. It was hard for Damon to listen to it as well, though he gave no signs of irritation.

"Could it be that he is threatening Caroline unless she does what he says? Could he have kidnapped her?" Matt was trying to find another logical explanation to all this mess, though he knew inside his heart that there was a great chance that Caroline had indeed fallen in love with Klaus even if they considered it unacceptable.

"I don't know what to think. She sounded so convinced." Elena replied, new tears filling her eyes.

"I don't think Klaus would threaten her to get her to follow him. If I know him at all, he is in love with Caroline and would never hurt her." Stefan didn't like what was happening, but he could recall a time he and Klaus were like brothers. Even if he was the ripper back then, he remembered that Klaus was one to love and hate so powerfully that he would go over the edge to support either feeling.

"He bit her." Bonnie said surprised that Stefan was seriously considering Caroline being in love with Klaus and him offering the world to her. "This is not love, it is obsession."

"He cured her." Damon added keeping his voice cool and detached. "I'm not saying I approve his methods, but hey, who are we to judge?"

"Bonnie, can you cast a location spell?" Stefan interrupted his brother before he said something that would upset Elena and the others even more.

"I already tried but I can't reach her. It is as if there is a barrier protecting them. Probably Klaus had one of his witches take care of it." Bonnie was still pissed that she couldn't locate Caroline.

"Have you tried to contact Rebekah or Elijah?" Matt asked Stefan. They all thought he was the most appropriate to talk to the Originals.

"I did." Stefan's voice hinted at what he was about to say. "Klaus called them and told them the same."

"Oh my god. So it is true." Elena gasped and was utterly shocked at the realization that this not just a prank.

"Why do you sound so surprised Elena? Maybe Caroline is much stronger than we thought. Maybe she can love without judging. No one is perfect." Damon stood up unable to stay in one place.

"Are you sure we're still talking about Caroline here? Because I am not in the mood to go down that road." Elena responded fiercely.

"Calm down everybody." Stefan intervened just in time before Damon said one more of his infamous lines. "We need to find a way to contact Caroline. Her phone is off. We must first speak to her and then see if there is anything we can, we must do."

The gang silently agreed to this first plan of action, as if relieved to finally close the subject. They each had their doubts, their fears and their hopes, but none of them was prepared to give up on their friend.


	9. Chapter 9

The darkness around them peaked at them through hideous eyes. Caroline could feel the whole world looking upon her. It was as if they knew something she didn't.

She tossed his jacket at the table as if it was offending to her. The meaning of her move was not lost on Klaus. It wouldn't hurt more if she had stabbed him in the back.

"Please leave." she said with a broken voice.

Klaus did not speak a word. He hadn't done anything this time to make her suffer. The bottom line was that she was still suffering because of him. He dragged his feet across the room, the defeat weighing on his shoulders.

He entered his dark room, the environment perfectly befitting his mood. But he was not angry at Caroline. He knew it all along that if she was to choose him, she would eventually have to face her friends. But it was too soon. If she had been ready, the force of her love for him would give her strength. As it was now, even if she had feelings for him, they would be crushed like a frail flower in a storm.

He was once again alone. That was his real course, not being bound to the sun and the moon. His siblings would always be by his side, he would see to that. But that still left a giant black hole in his heart.

He laid on the bed once again looking at the ceiling. What could he do to get them out of this mess? He should focus on that rather than bit himself over a ravishing woman who despised him. He heard the door of her room lock, leaving no doubts about her intentions. Not that a simple lock would keep him away if he wanted to enter the room, it was just that he was not welcome anymore.

Klaus had walked the earth for more than a millennium. He was much stronger than the others imagined him to be. He could do things that weren't even written in the books. Yet he stayed there unable to find a solution to their problem.

He tried to reach out with his mind to his brother. He closed his eyes and concentrated with all his senses in the task at hand. He imagined Elijah and tried to create a mental connection with him. He could feel the strain from his effort but that didn't stop him. If Elijah was in Mystic Falls it would have been easy, but the distance did present a significant obstacle.

Klaus had tried to do that multiple times in the past, but now it was different. He could sense something holding him back. When he reached out to someone like this, his mind was also bare to them. That's why he only used this technique with the only person that he trusted with his thoughts, with his life. He hadn't told his brother this, but he was sure that even after the daggering and the backstabbing, Elijah knew that he loved him.

For some reason, he felt that he was almost a step behind. His brother was there, but still out of reach. It was like Elijah had consciously broken every bridge that would allow him to contact him. Either that, or the barrier put in place by Bettie was stronger than he originally thought.

It was strange though. He didn't remember Bettie being so strong a witch. True, in cooperation with the other witches of her coven she was a force to be reckoned with. He thought she was the only one escaping with her life. Apparently not. Maybe she had found some other source to draw power from.

After a few unfruitful attempts at reaching his brother, Klaus gave up trying. He should consider other possibilities, but he wasn't exactly popular here in Mystic Falls.

There were a lot of people who were dying to see him destroyed, or even contained for eternity. So, who could he ask for help? The only person that would ever considered helping him was locked in the adjacent room. And even she didn't seem so willing anymore to aid him escape.

A thought popped to his mind. Was it possible that the Mystic Falls gang had made an alliance with Bettie to disarm him? If the Bennett witch was working with Bettie that meant trouble. It also meant that things were much more grim than he first thought.

But there was a problem with that. Caroline was trapped with him. He knew they hated him that much, but they would never sacrifice their friend like this. Unless it was another diversion. Not that much of a surprise there, how many times had they sent her to him as distraction? He never complained because this way he got to know her and appreciate her lively spirit.

An imperceptible sting of betrayal was immediately dismissed. Caroline was a smart woman, but she couldn't fake her feelings to this extent. She was like a beacon in the night, all her feelings shone brightly chasing away every doubt about their honesty.

What should he do? _Come on Klaus, think. You haven't survived this long just because of good looks. _

He considered his options wisely, but all his plans came to the same dead end. There was only person he could extend a hand for help. Stefan.

The younger vampire had once been like a brother to him. It was in his ripper days when they had made the world tremble at their footsteps. But if Klaus wanted to be honest with himself, he didn't consider Stefan his best friend just because they were on a killing spree. He could wipe out thousands of life without company.

It felt as if the younger Salvatore could really understand him. God, he missed those days, the three of them having fun and living life to the fullest. But those days were gone. He knew that Stefan was no longer the same person.

Yet he seemed like the only available option. Stefan considered Caroline a very good friend and he would do everything in his power to set her free.

Klaus wasn't sure if Stefan would help him as well, but at this point it was not that important. If Caroline was safe, he could bear to spend a few decades in isolation, because the witches could not keep him there forever. At some point Elijah would come for him. But Caroline didn't have that much time. It wouldn't be long since lack of blood took its toll.

How could he alert Stefan but not the others? It was funny how they moved like a pack. And if it came to a vote whether to help him or not, the Gilberts would make sure that he went straight to hell. The Bennett witch would more than agree, and so would the annoying older Salvatore.

But Klaus could see he had no choice. Once again he reached out with the power of his mind to Stefan. He was surprised when he got blocked immediately and it was not just Bettie's barrier. It was as if he was closed to himself and let no one else in.

_So much for the backup plan_, Klaus thought disappointed. But he always believed that for every problem there is a solution. He was the Original Hybrid after all.

And then he burst out laughing. The thought had lingered in the corners of his conscience since he first heard that sound. Now it was time to see whether it would work or not, either way he had nothing to lose.

He woke up and paced through the room, till he stood in front of the opposite wall. He breathed deeply and cleared his mind of all thoughts. The beginning of a plan was sketched in his mind and it seemed like a good start.

Klaus put his hands on the wall, leaning with all his weight on the hard surface. He closed his eyes and probed with his mind to reach his almost forgotten pet. It was a rather simple plan and he really hoped it would work.

A few minutes passed and he opened his eyes again. Now all he had to do was wait and see.

* * *

Caroline was curled in a fetal position, hugging her knees to her chest. She was hungry, and she was exhausted. The feeling of abandon wouldn't let her go.

To make matters worse, she now felt cold as well. The moment she removed Klaus's jacket, the lack of warmth was so acute it annoyed her. She wanted nothing to do with him and surely didn't need a jacket to keep her warm.

Now she was thinking about it again. It hang at an awkward angle where it landed like a reminder of something she had lost.

_Damn him, he is the embodiment of trouble._ Caroline knew that in this case he was not to blame, but if he hadn't killed Bettie's family they wouldn't be here. And if he didn't fancy her, she would be home living her life like any other normal vampire in Mystic Falls. Maybe another girl would be in her place, who knows?

She imagined another young and lovely creature taking her place. She even gave a name to the girl: Amanda. She would be beautiful, charming and irresistible. Klaus would fall for her and shower her with gifts, compliments, with his attention. Amanda would not be the smartest person on earth either. She would fall head over heels for the immortal and, unbound by trivial things, would follow him to the end of the world and cherish what he had to offer.

She even pictured her staying in the very room she was locked in. The brat would be frightened and at the slightest noise would scream like a child. So pathetic. And he would come to her rescue, to reassure her with that deep velvet voice that everything would be fine. And she would fall in his embrace without hesitation, sheltered and protected from the darkness around her.

God how she hated Amanda. Her eyes went wide open with surprise when she realized she was jealous of an imaginary girl, even if she wanted none of that for herself, she was sure of that.

She tried to remember how her life was before she met him. Somehow it seemed so far away, that simple boring life of a neurotic cheerleader. She was sure it had nothing to do with Klaus, it was her transition to an immortal being that changed her life.

She could see all the pain he had brought along, but then would be distracted by small laughs, pretty gifts and declarations of love. He was pure evil to play with her heart like that. Why didn't he go and fancy some other girl? She already had a boyfriend, she didn't need more drama in her life.

But when had the universe ever listened to her needs and wishes? They said it had a weird sense of humor and she surely had seen way more of that than she wanted to.

Caroline sighed and got out of bed. In an attempt to prove to herself that Klaus meant absolutely nothing to her, she picked up his jacket and wore it not wasting time, welcoming the comfortable feeling of protection it provided.

_See? I don't really care it is his jacket. To me it is just another piece of cloth. _She already felt better, content with herself for setting things right.

She reached into its pockets curious to see what she would find. Another hidden gift? A beautiful drawing of her? An unfinished letter declaring his undying love for her? But she didn't find any of those.

She turned around with raised eyebrows, scoffing herself for speculating about Klaus and then justifying herself that she was bored and had nothing to pass her time.

As soon as she raised her eyes from her empty hands, she froze in place. She had been so distracted that she had not sensed, hell, had not heard the visitor standing just in front of her, the transparent barrier the only obstacle between them.

A couple of scary yellow glowing eyes were watching intently her every move. Sharp lethal teeth were bared at her, a muscular body ready to jump and attack her.

She forgot to breathe, her mind frantically trying to assure her that the creature could not overcome the barrier. But what if it could get in but couldn't get out? They only knew they couldn't escape.

That would be terrible. She was immortal but not indestructible. And she hadn't fed in more than two days. She silently prayed that this was not her doom.

As if the creature had read her mind, it attempted to jump through the barrier.

Caroline screamed at the top of her lungs, a scream that would have woken even the dead.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Here I am again, thanking everyone who made it so far :-)**_

* * *

Caroline closed her eyes as the creature took a leap towards her. When she felt no claws on her body, no fangs on her flesh she wondered what happened.

She opened her eyes just to see the wolf on the ground. The force of the barrier had knocked him down. If she wasn't so scared she would laugh with the look of surprise that the yellow eyes registered.

The wolf regained his initial attacking stance. Caroline was grateful for the barrier, otherwise the werewolf would definitely bite her no matter how bravely she fought. Not that she would die, she just didn't want to beg for Klaus's blood.

She relaxed visibly and sat on the bed to catch her breath. She was curious to know who this werewolf was. For a moment she dared to hope it was Tyler that had come back for her.

But that was impossible. No one knew she was there and no one would have called Tyler to tell him she ran off with his sire. And Tyler definitely wouldn't have come to save her. Or would he come to punish her for her indiscretion? _Naahhh_, she dismissed the thought.

The wolf made a few circles hissing and barking a guttural sound, then stopped abruptly as if he was listening for something specific. Then, as suddenly as he appeared, he disappeared.

Caroline could still smell his presence in the basement though. Probably the werewolf had gone to check on the other prisoner hoping for a better fate with his prey. She was curious to see how Klaus would react to the presence of the werewolf, but she would not satisfy her curiosity.

Her behaviour gave a clear signal to the hybrid, she wanted nothing to do with him, at least not at this moment. So it would be inappropriate to show up at his room just to see if he would be scared of the werewolf.

_I couldn't care less what he does on the other side of the wall. _

Caroline had better things to do than think of Klaus. She had already counted 119 tiles on the brick wall opposite her. Or was it 120? Then she had to remember the lyrics of her favorite songs and start singing. Definitely no time for the irritating hybrid.

Yet, between the numbering of the tiles and the singing, she still kept an ear out for any interesting sounds from her surroundings.

At some point she heard the werewolf howling and making some whining sounds. What the hell was Klaus doing? _Probably he started talking to the poor beast and bored him to death._

It wasn't long before she heard something that resembled the tearing of a piece of cloth. That was weird, but she still didn't move from her bed.

She would have forgotten about the wolf if it wasn't for the sudden smell of blood in the air. She hadn't drunk blood in more than two days and even the smallest drop would draw her attention like a magnet.

It was definitely blood, a vampire could never mistake it for something else. And it was _his _blood. Caroline remembered its rich flavor, its magnificent scent, its undeniable power.

_Oh my God, why is Klaus bleeding? _She hadn't heard noises of struggle, what had happened? Even if she went closer to the barrier she didn't have enough visual contact with the rest of the basement.

Not wasting another second she flashed to Klaus's room with vampire speed. The door flew off the hinges making a terrible sound. Apparently he had managed to fix the light bulb, which now lit the room with a faint glow.

Klaus turned to see what she had done this time. Even if he was blind and deaf he would notice her presence. The sweet scent of jasmine and roses surrounded her like an aura. He would recognize that scent no matter where he was.

Initially she seemed worried, but then her expression changed with the speed of light. Her face was so expressive that he always wanted to challenge her just to see how she would react.

Now she was pissed.

Caroline couldn't believe what she saw. Klaus had set on his knees near the barrier, while the werewolf had laid down on the other side. He had put his muzzle on his front legs, while his tail would go from side to side. She would be crazy to say the wolf looked happy, but that's exactly how he looked.

Was he the same beast that attacked her? Why was he acting like Klaus was his owner and he was happy to see him? And then she remembered something he said about a long forgotten pet.

"Is this some kind of joke? Who is that werewolf?" She demanded patting her right boot to the ground and showing with her right index finger at the wolf that was behaving like a big fluffy dog.

"This is no werewolf. He is a simple grey baby wolf that got left behind by his pack when he was injured." Klaus said ignoring her accusing tone.

It was bizarre to hear Klaus talk about the wolf as if he cared about him. He had killed many people without even blinking and without remorse. What did it say about him?

"This is your pet? That is how you knew we were at your mansion?" She was losing her temper.

"Yes. My friend over here has made it a habit to show up at my door every now and then." Klaus said simply as if he was talking about the weather.

"You don't have a name for your pet?" Not only did he not have taste in chosing pets, he didn't even name the poor thing?

"It's not really my pet. Sometimes it feels like we have a better understanding than with most humans."

"So, does that make you an animal?" she blurted out before she could refrain herself. No point in apologizing now, not that she wanted to.

"We are all animals lov... Caroline." He corrected himself. "Claiming to be human doesn't remove our need to obey our instincts. We are just more civilized then them."

Caroline was ready to start one of her famous rants, but then she remembered the blood.

"What happened? Are you injured?"

"No, I'm not. Why? Were you worried about me?" A smirk formed at the corner of his tempting mouth and she quickly looked away.

"No, I was not worried. I was just curious." she admitted.

Klaus could see that she was tense, so he decided not to tease her anymore. He stood up to his full length and she saw his torn shirt.

Her gaze swept over his well toned body and rested on his flat stomach. He had ripped a large piece of cloth from the front of his shirt, thus exposing to her eyes a fine display of lean muscles.

She swallowed and hoped the heat she felt on her face wasn't showing. Then her gaze went to the blood seeping from his wrist. _That was her wrist_. She dismissed the silly thought. Yeah, she had drunk from that same vein, so what?

Klaus saw that she was trying to guess at his intentions, but by the looks of it she seemed lost.

"I decided to send a message. I don't suppose you have any pen and paper with you, do you?" He didn't even try to hide his amusement with all this.

Caroline eyed the precious blood drops being wasted on the floor and had to stop herself from licking her dry lips.

"In my era we don't carry pen and paper with us." It was a stupid retort, but she had to say something to this incredibly annoying man. "And even if I had any, what good would it do to us?"

"I am trying to send a message to your friend, Stefan."

"Stefan? How ..." she was feeling stupid but she couldn't see how he was going to accomplish that. Maybe she was distracted by the sight of blood and the dangerous predator in front of her.

"If your friends believe you ran off with me, they won't search for you. Stefan seems like the only one who is calm enough to come to your aid without doing anything stupid."

Was it her idea or did he say _to her aid _and not to _theirs? _What was going on?

"To my aid? What about you? What about Bettie?" she kept on with the questions until she noticed the look on his face. He seemed like he was almost surrendered and ready to admit defeat. But he was Klaus, he would move heaven and earth to see his plans come true. Why was he not fighting?

"I don't think any of your friends would move their little finger to save me. Not that I blame them. They might even think of a way to kill me since I cannot really fight back locked in here." His voice was calm, way too calm for him saying the things she just heard.

"So why are you asking for Stefan's help then?" it made no sense at all.

"Because you cannot go much longer without blood, while I can. And we don't know what Bettie's intentions are. So, if they save you, I will deal with Bettie without fearing retribution."

"If you do this, then Bettie will have won." Something was not right.

"Don't you understand? Bettie has already won. There is no point in you dying in the process."

"She has not won, we are still alive and we can fight her." she said as she would say to any member of their little monster fighting gang.

"I love you Caroline and you hate me. Bettie knows she cannot kill me, so she destroyed the only thing that mattered to me." Without looking at her awestruck eyes, he laid the small piece of white cloth to the table.

_I don't hate you._ A small voice echoed in her head but she dare not say those words aloud. She wasn't sure how she felt right now. She was sure she blushed when she heard those words.

So that is why he repeatedly said that Bettie destroyed him. She felt genuinely sorry for him, but this was not the moment to sort out their feelings.

She came close to Klaus, trying like hell to avoid any physical contact. She understood now what he was trying to do and silently thanked him for putting her safety above anything else, even his pride.

She kept the cloth from the angles, leaving him to write the message. In his own blood.

He soaked his finger in the open gash at his wrist and started to write carefully in red letters.

_CAROLINE IS AT THE BASEMENT OF MY MANSION. BRING BONNIE WITH YOU. KLAUS_

Caroline read the message and turned to look at him. They were standing too close and she felt her breath catching in her throat.

"He will think that you kidnapped me. He may come here with the intention to kill you."

"There is no room here for explanations." He showed the piece of cloth who was now covered in bloody letters. "Besides, what difference does it make to you? Isn't it what you have tried to do all this time?"

What could she say? It was true that they had constantly plotted to kill him. It was just as true that he did the same.

Klaus knew that she had nothing to say. He waved the cloth in the air to make sure the blood had dried. Then, he turned toward the barrier and tossed the message toward the wolf.

It lended just in front of his muzzle. The wolf, as if he knew what was expected of him, grabbed the cloth with his teeth and ran away towards the exit.

"How did you know it would pass the barrier?" she was curious now. She had never thought of trying something like this.

"You see that piece of brick over there? That was my test. Plus I think these barriers do not allow any living thing to pass. It seems I was right."

"What do we do know?" she asked suddenly aware that she was in his space. They were standing so close she could feel the heat emenating from his body. She shivered though she wore his jacket. Something he would have definitely noticed.

"We do nothing. We just wait for your friends to make their move." he stated matter-of-factly. He gently tucked an unruly curl after her right ear and then moved away from her. He had to stay away from temptation, her pink lips drawing him like a siren.

It was too late now for dreaming of sweet passionate kisses. The dice were cast.


	11. Chapter 11

It was late in the evening when Stefan entered the parlor of his house. He was tired and didn't really want to see anyone at that moment.

_Great, _he thought, _Damon is here. _

He wasn't in the mood to talk to his brother, but they had too. He felt that there was more to Caroline's departure than what they already knew.

"Hey little brother. Any news?" Damon asked pouring his favorite drink to his favorite glass. Stefan thought Damon did nothing else but drinking when he was at home.

There was no need to ask what he was referring to. They were both preoccupied about the lively blonde. Even Damon seemed depressed about the situation though he always teased Caroline.

"I asked around but no one has seen her the last couple of days." Stefan said in his usual brooding mood. "What about you?"

"Nothing on my end either. I talked to Liz and she said they couldn't trace Caroline's cell phone. She is starting to panic and that is not good." Damon added, letting the slow burn in his throat relief the tension he was feeling.

"Something doesn't feel right." Stefan added more to himself than to his brother.

"Tell me about it. So many gorgeous guys around and she had to fall for that douche."

Damon being Damon helped no one at the moment, but Stefan was too tired to start an argument. And what could he say? That apart from being a psycho killer, Klaus loved Caroline probably more than anyone else in the world?

"How is Elena doing?" Stefan asked, a sharp pain cutting through his chest. He couldn't get to grips with the fact that he had to ask Damon about the girl he loved. But it was not the time to dwell on it.

Damon could see how painful it was for Stefan, so he didn't come back with one of his usual retorts. "She is still shocked. She is with Bonnie right now, eating tons of ice-cream and chocolate and probably watching _The Notebook_."

"But it's not a boyfriend situation."

"It doesn't matter. Put two girls together and a bowl of ice-cream and it is always time for _The Noteb..._"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. A loud noise came from behind the couch Stefan was sitting on. He got up on his feet in no time and stood next to Damon, ready to face whatever it was that disrupted the quiet atmosphere in the parlor.

To their great surprise, they saw a large wolf standing a few feet away from them. It had broken through the main window and now was growling at them as if it had a purpose.

Damon felt a sense of déjà vu, the memories from the scene with Rose and Jules rushing back painfully. He was tired of werewolves coming and going from that damn window as they wished.

He grabbed an iron pod from the fireplace and prepared himself for battle, all the while trying to figure out how the hell would they get the cure if the werewolf managed to bite them, now that the bad Hybrid was God knew where with Vampire Barbie.

Stefan stood still studying the beast. He made a sign to Damon to not make a move, despite the glare he got in return.

"It is not a werewolf, it's just a regular wolf." he said surprised at the finding. It didn't make sense.

"Really? So now who is going to pay for that window?" Damon sighed dramatically.

"Look, it has something in his mouth." Stefan noticed and with very slow, careful moves approached the beast.

The wolf looked at him with intelligent eyes and then let the object he was holding fall to the ground. His job was done, so he went out of the window just as swiftly as he had come.

The Salvatore brothers were at a loss for words. They had dealt with many monsters and demons and other supernatural creatures in their many years of existence, but never before had they seen a courier wolf.

Stefan stooped to gather the white object. He took what looked like a piece of cloth and brought it in front of his eyes. Damon came closer to have a better look at the weird thing.

"It is a message." He sniffed the air and then added. "Written in blood."

Damon took the cloth from his brother's hand and sniffed it as well. His features relaxed visibly. "This is Klaus's blood."

Stefan was more than surprised at the declaration. "What? Are you sure?"

"Please don't make me lick that thing. I am almost sure it is Klaus's blood. As much as I despise that bastard, his blood is unique." He thought about it a moment and then his signature smirk lit up his face. "I have tasted his blood twice and I can say I could get addicted to it. So yeah, this is not Blondie's."

Stefan let out a breath of relief. "What does it say?"

"It says Caroline is at his mansion at the basement. Bring Bonnie." He looked up from the message. "This is not good."

"Do you think Klaus kidnapped her?"

"I'm not sure. If so, wouldn't it be more dramatic to write the note in her blood rather than his precious blood?" He tested the fabric and raised an eyebrow. "Not to mention that he ruined a really nice shirt."

"Get a room you two." Stefan joked unable to miss the opportunity to tease his brother. It earned him a light punch in the stomach.

"I think Klaus is with her, but I can't guess what does he need Bonnie for. Apparently not to bless their love nest."

"Yeah, you're right. It didn't sit well with me from the beginning."

He reached for his cell phone and immediately called Bonnie. It took him a few minutes to describe the events of the last hours and the implications of the new information.

* * *

Caroline and Klaus were standing in Klaus's small room and talking in a low voice. They knew there was no one around to listen to their conversation, still they had lowered their voice subconsciously.

The veil of silence was broken when hasty steps were heard coming from the main entrance. They got up simultaneously and prepared to see Bettie emerge from the shadows. She must be angry if the noise she was making was any indication.

They were not mistaken. The witch made an impressive entrance in front of them. She seemed to be dragging something heavy but they could not make out what it was.

And then, with an unexpected force she thrust a massive weight across the barrier. Caroline screamed in terror and moved to stand behind Klaus, while he stood unmoving even though the corpse of the wolf bounced off his chest and fell to the ground with a thud.

The poor beast had to be dead, otherwise the body would not pass through the barrier. The wolf's eyes were open in terror, but the light of life had escaped long ago.

Klaus was shocked, but tried to hide it as best he could because he didn't want Caroline to freak out. Maybe it was too late for that already.

He kneeled in front of the wolf and petted his soft fur with sadness. Trying to hide from Bettie's gaze, he checked to find traces of the message he had sent to Stefan. He didn't find any and nor did Bettie seem to have found it.

The loyal animal had fulfilled his destiny and was returning to report to his ally. It would be a shame to call that proud beast a pet. He was a companion, a free spirit that had for some time aligned with him, a mutual simplified understanding of life outside the limits of species bringing them together.

Klaus was sorry to see the lifeless body in front of him. He had killed people without experiencing the slightest feeling, now he was almost mourning a dead wolf. Maybe Caroline was right, he was more an animal than a human being. He didn't deserve her.

His eyes glowed bright yellow for a few moments, a low but dangerous growl escaping from his throat. The murderous rage was barely contained, but he didn't want to lose control. The only one who would end up hurt was the woman he loved, while Bettie was safe behing the barrier.

He heard Caroline whisper ever so softly his name in an attempt to comfort him. She was too afraid to come close to him and she should be. Klaus turned around to look at her and didn't miss the gasp of terror she couldn't hide. But to give her credit, she didn't step back.

Caroline had lost her ability to think. All she saw in front of her was death. The poor wolf was dead and probably it hadn't been a gentle passing though she could see no blood. Klaus was out of control. His wolf part was screaming for blood and vengeance. But what could he do?

_Punish the only human within reach._ She thought terrified. His eyes were so fierce she felt mesmerized. She was afraid, there was no doubt about that. But she was also sorry for she could see the hurt burning in those eyes. Did she see tears? She could not tell.

She had never seen Klaus so desperate except for when Kol was killed. It was not the same reaction of course, yet it was quite intense for such a composed man. She whispered his name trying to calm him down.

And he responded to her call making her heart skip a bit. He managed to tame the beast within, his eyes now that blue color that always reminded her of the clear spring sky.

"Oh stop crying over an animal. You, a killer of thousands, should be accustomed to death." Bettie mocked him, obviously content to have caused him emotional pain.

"Are you feeling better? You managed to kill a wolf. I bet your daughters would be thrilled if they saw you now." His voice was cold as ice, almost unrecognizable.

"If my daughters could see me, I wouldn't need to kill anything you animal." she screamed out of control, the black covering once again her eyes. It was a frightful sight.

"Well, I guess I'll find another wolf to keep me company." he shrugged indifferently.

Caroline knew he could be cruel if he meant to, but this was too much. Yet she didn't say anything, like it or not they were on the same side of the barrier and if anyone could save them, it was Klaus. He would think of something, she was sure. And maybe the wolf had managed to warn Stefan. She dare not hope of being rescued, so Klaus was her only bet.

Bettie took the bait, her face showing her murderous intentions. She couldn't kill Klaus but she could make him hurt as hell.

Out of nowhere a huge wooden stake flew across the barrier, aimed straightly at Caroline. Klaus was fast enough to push her out of harm's way, the stake embedding itself in his stomach. He groaned in pain and removed the stake with shaking hands.

Bettie started laughing hysterically. A couple of stakes followed the first one and Klaus found himself pinned to the wall.

Caroline was terrified. He should have been able to dodge them. If it was not for the shock, even she would have avoided the first stake. His moves seemed a little sloppy, small beads of sweat covering his face, his breath erratic.

Bettie stopped laughing at once, now her face dead serious. She started chanting under breath in a language unknown to both immortals. Then she raised her hands as if raising an invisible veil.

They couldn't tell what exactly she had done. Caroline felt a strange tingling sensation on the back of her neck. _Probably just the stress from this never-ending ordeal_, she thought.

"I'll see you lovers in the morning. The fun has just begun." And with a swift pace, she walked away.

Caroline didn't lose time but flashed immediately to Klaus. He was freaking her out, he seemed so vulnerable and ... hurt. How could he be hurt this easily? He was the Original Hybrid damn it.

"Klaus? What's going on?" She looked like a frightened child and he hated himself for being so weak.

"The witch poisoned me." A sharp intake of breath interrupted him.

"Oh my god ... is it vervain?" She was careful not to touch the stake protruding from both sides of his chest.

"The right one is soaked in vervain. The left in wolvesbayne. Very original I must say." He coughed and a blood trickle ran from his parted lips.

Caroline took off the jacket and covered her right hand with one sleeve like a glove. She placed her left hand on his hard stomach, where a small blood stain had formed where the first stake had landed.

Ignoring the feel of hard muscle under her fingertips, Caroline took a deep breath. Then, looking into his eyes, she extracted the stakes in two smooth moves throwing the stakes away.

Klaus wanted to scream, the pain was more than he could handle in his weakened state. But he would never admit weakness, not even in front of her. He would have fallen to his knees were it not for the support of her left hand that kept him still standing.

Caroline looked at Klaus. He looked pale, his beautiful eyes even more impressive against his fair skin. She helped him move from the wall and go to the bed. They had to pass over the wolf's body, which made her feel sick.

Klaus thought there was no need to stay in this room, what with the dead wolf in the middle of it. He motioned her to the door and Caroline gladly agreed to move to her room. She helped him climb the bed and get comfortable.

When his head hit the pillow he closed his eyes. He was sweating now, the poison running inside his body like liquid fire. He had experienced it before and it was a very unpleasant and painful feeling.

Klaus was aware that Caroline was watching him intently. For her sake, he opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"Thank you love." he said in a strained voice and she didn't find it in her heart to correct him.

"You're welcome." she replied gently. "Are you going to be OK?"

Unconsciousness was starting to claim him, his eyelids feeling heavier than ever. He was exhausted and there seemed no reason to fight it anymore. The danger was gone, for tonight.

Klaus mustered all his remaining strength to answer her question. "I just need a little rest."

He moved as close to the wall as he could and made room for her in the bed. Then his eyes closed and he was lost in a most needed sleep.

Caroline watched him fade into unconsciousness. The wounds from the stakes seemed to have almost healed. From time to time he would frown even in sleep and she knew he was hurting. And then he would relax, his face so ... angelic she couldn't believe he was a devil.

She was tired too. If she were to sleep in the same bed as him, they would have to be pretty close. Her other option was to sleep on the chair or the floor. She dismissed the thought immediately. She was hungry, she wouldn't add uncomfortable to the picture. And the bed next to the dead wolf? So out of the question.

_Ah what the hell, he is unconscious and we are adults. There's nothing wrong with just sharing the bed._

She laid down carefully trying too much not to come in contact with his now relaxed body. No matter how hard she tried, their bodies touched. With a deep sigh she turned towards him and adjusted her body so that her head rested on his left shoulder, her left hand resting on his chest.

It was weird how safe she felt in the arms of her enemy. Sleep claimed her soon and took her to a place where there was no death, just laughter, happiness and a pair of blue eyes looking at her with love.


	12. Chapter 12

The pain was slowly fading away, leaving him stranded. He couldn't tell how much time had passed since he passed out.

The poison in his blood had him hallucinating, the sweet scent of jasmine all around him. It was so enticing that for a moment he forgot where he was. It felt like heaven, he couldn't remember how many years had passed since he last was this at peace.

Klaus tried to move his limbs but felt a slight numbness overcome him. As it was expected. He slowly opened his eyes, reluctant to abandon that sweet dreamland.

It took all his control not to jump for joy when he realized Caroline was sleeping next to him. No no, not next to him. She was practically sprawled on top of him, his left side buried under the gentle pressure of her body. That would explain why he couldn't move his arm and leg.

Unable to believe he had wasted that precious occasion while drifting asleep, he looked at her with endless love.

_If I wasn't unconscious, she would have never laid beside me._ This was the sad truth and he knew it. What should he do now? She seemed so relaxed and serene that he didn't want to wake her up, not yet.

He brought his left arm around her sleeping form and hugged her ever so slightly not wanting to disrupt her peaceful sleep. Then, his right arm, at its own accord, rested on his chest, over her extended arm. It felt like he was trying to keep her there for all eternity. _Eternity_ meaning till she opened her baby blue eyes and realized what she was doing: sleeping in the arms of someone she hated. And then screaming like hell.

Klaus didn't know how she really felt. One moment she would look at him with immense hatred in her eyes, ready to stake him where he stood. The next she would be as indifferent as piece of ice. And when he would lose all hope, she would gift him with a genuine smile or a small gesture that showed she cared.

Earlier she removed the stakes from his body and helped him to the bed. And then, unknowingly she showed she trusted him by laying down her defenses. He kissed the top of her blonde head and then closed his eyes. He would treasure this moment forever, until one day it became his reality or he perished from the world.

* * *

It was six o'clock in the morning when Stefan heard footsteps outside his front door. He had slept on the couch even he believed that he wouldn't be able to. He was all cramped and unsmiling when he went to open the door.

Elena and Bonnie looked surprised when the door opened before they even knocked.

Stefan would never get used to seeing Elena without closing her into his embrace. But he would have to adjust, things were different now. She looked as beautiful as ever, though the dark shadows under her eyes showed she hadn't slept much last night.

Bonnie looked just as haunted. It was clear that after his phone call they had stayed awake. Definitely not watching _The notebook. _

_Damn, I've been spending too much time with Damon._ He thought distracted.

"We need to talk." Bonnie was the first to break the silence.

"Good morning Miss Obvious." Damon's voice came from behind Stefan. The Gang was almost assembled. Matt was the only one missing and Stefan couldn't remember if anyone actually informed him of the new developments. It was better if he stayed away from this one, being a human he always ended up battered and bruised.

"How charming of you to greet us." Bonnie retorted annoyed.

The girls walked into the parlor with the moves of someone who knew the place really well. They set on the same couch as the day when they first learned that Caroline was missing.

"Show me the message." Elena demanded, not because she didn't believe Stefan, but because she was so nervous she couldn't keep her hands from shaking.

Damon looked at her with unconcealed love in his eyes, not caring that Stefan was there as well. He offered the piece of cloth with the dry blood.

Elena shivered at the macabre sight. Stefan had told her it was Klaus's blood, yet the sight was unnerving.

"Are you sure this isn't one of Klaus's traps?" Bonnie asked. The young beauty seemed strained, the constant demands on her power taking their toll on her body and soul. But it was Caroline, if she could save her she would do it without thinking twice of the consequences.

"I don't think it is a trap, but I don't know what exactly is happening either." Stefan was skeptic by nature and now he had every reason to be.

"You know that he is my least favorite British guy ever, but I don't think it's a trap. What reason could he have to do it? It's not like he can't kill us on his own." Damon said.

"It's not like he didn't try." Elena said annoyed that Damon was taking Klaus's side. For some reason, she felt better knowing Klaus was the villain than some unknown evil. _Better the devil you know._

"True, but let's face it. He is in love with Caroline. Why would he use her as bait? We're not that significant opponents for him to go to such lengths." Stefan was trying to figure out what was going on and keep his friends composed and ready for battle if it came to it.

"What if this has nothing to with Caroline? How sure we are this is Klaus's blood?" Elena asked only to get Damon's unsatisfied glare.

"Anyone who has tasted that scumbag's delicious blood raise a hand please." Damon said raising both his hands up in the air. He gave a meaningful look to the others in the room making his point. "See? So you have to trust my unbeatable senses and go with it."

"Guys, we're running out of time." Bonnie admitted. "Somehow a message written in blood over a ripped piece of cloth strikes me as urgent. And if you consider the messenger, well you see my point."

"I think we should go to the mansion and check for ourselves." Stefan stood up from the arm of the couch on which he was standing the whole time.

"You're right little brother. It's safe to assume Bonnie must go. I think we should split so that even if it is a trap we stand a fighting chance."

"I will go with her." Stefan grabbed his jacket. "You stay here with Elena. If you don't hear from us in a couple of hours, come and look for us."

"Why are you the one to go with Bonnie? You think I cannot save Blondie?" Damon was complaining just out of habit, he was more than happy to stay with Elena.

"Because if you start with your irritating comments Klaus might decide to kill you just to protect himself from your sarcasm." And with that, Stefan leaded Bonnie out of the parlor.

* * *

Stefan and Bonnie walked in silence all the way to Klaus's glorious mansion. It seemed so abandoned and devoid of life that it was unsettling.

They entered trying to be as quiet as possible in case the responsible for Caroline's disappearance were still around. And why wouldn't they be? Stefan found the door that led to the basement.

There were a few large steps that came down to a cavernous space. It was not well-lit, but it wasn't pitch black either. It took them a few seconds to adjust to the dark.

Stefan listened for any peculiar sounds and after sniffing the air, something Bonnie always found repulsive about vampires, he showed toward a corridor. They could see a fading light coming from the corner.

Bonnie followed Stefan and prepared herself for anything that might pop out around the corner. They found themselves in front of a space that divided in two rooms. The sliding doors on both were wide open.

They first checked the smaller room and when they saw the unmoving mass in the middle of the room, Bonnie brought her hands to her mouth to block a scream. The wolf that had brought the message to Stefan lay there dead.

They moved to the next room and were shocked at the unexpected sight. Bonnie's eyes grew wide in disbelief while Stefan couldn't help but smile.

Klaus and Caroline were peacefully sleeping in each other's arms. To a stranger they would seem like the perfect couple who didn't want to part even in sleep. Caroline's head rested on the hybrid's shoulder and she looked so relaxed it was hard to believe.

"You should be thankful Damon is not here. He would be teasing you to death." Stefan said with a low voice, but strong enough for the two to wake up from their sleep.

Klaus was the first to wake up. He cursed himself for not noticing that someone had come to them. When he recognized Stefan and Bonnie, he let out a sigh of relief.

Klaus's move woke Caroline as well. At first she was disoriented and as she turned around, she almost fell off the bed. She grabbed his shirt and blushed when she realized she was practically on top of him. And then she realized Stefan and Bonnie were looking at her sleeping with ... Klaus.

She flashed away from him as if burned by fire. Her breath was uneven and she started mumbling something unintelligible.

"So Caroline, how was your honey moon?" Bonnie teased her friend mercilessly. They were worried sick about the blonde, while she was enjoying herself in the company of a deadly handsome man.

"Bonnie!" she said offended at the insinuation. "It's not what you think."

"How could you do this? He is not your friend, don't ever forget it."

"I did nothing wrong, we just fell asleep." she apologized as if she had sinned.

Klaus stood up from the bed and faced the newcomers, trying his best not to look at Caroline. He shouldn't take it personally that she seemed so ashamed that her friends caught them sleeping. It was an innocent act, but she couldn't even bring herself to look at him. The dream was over, she was back to her usual Klaus-hating self.

"Thanks for coming mate." he said to Stefan who just nodded in return.

Bonnie saw the patch of fabric that was removed from the front of Klaus's shirt. She also saw the stains of blood in his stomach and shoulders. She didn't ask any questions, she would have time for that later.

Caroline and Klaus both looked dishevelled and as nervous as a young couple caught making out. Stefan knew that Caroline would not surrender to Klaus that easily. But he also knew his former friend. He could be very charming if he wanted to and it was clear as daylight he wanted Caroline.

Bonnie noticed that Caroline stood in a distance from her. Even though she must be embarrassed because of the scene with Klaus, normally she would run to her best friends arms for comfort. Why was she standing still?

She took a couple of steps toward Caroline and suddenly felt it, the vibrating force of a magical barrier. So that explained it all.

"Oh my god, there is barrier here. And a strong one at that." she moved a few paces back and started chanting in a clear voice. She reached her hand toward the barrier and focused with all her strength to the energy emanating from her fingers.

She motioned for Caroline to try and cross the barrier but she couldn't get through. The obstacle was still in place. Bonnie repeated the process casting a different spell now, but it still brought no results.

"Who did this?" Stefan looked Klaus in the eye and waited.

The hybrid looked ... guilty somehow, a look totally strange to him. He rubbed the stubble that covered his face and then started talking.

"We were kidnapped by a witch named Bettie Thompson. She is an old acquaintance of mine. Lets say she holds a strong grudge against me."

"He killed her family in front of him to punish her and the other witches of her coven for trying to kill Kol." Caroline snapped, still not looking at _him._

Bonnie gasped in horror. They did not just try to kill Kol, they succeeded in eliminating Klaus's younger brother. If Klaus killed the witches family for an unsuccessful attempt, what would be his retribution to them?

But Klaus did not seem that angry or bent on killing them. Probably it was because of Caroline, she had this soothing and calming effect on him even when she was bitching about everything.

"I can see her wanting to kill you, but why take Caroline as well?" Bonnie was sure she was missing something, but she was too shocked to notice.

Klaus said nothing, Caroline lowered her head to her chest and it was then that Stefan realized the truth.

"She can't kill him, so she wants to torture him by making the most important person to him suffer. Before his eyes." Stefan concluded, everything clear to him now. "Has she hurt you Caroline?"

"No, not really." she managed to reply weakly. Klaus had told her the same thing, but now that she heard Stefan express the same opinion, it suddenly became more real.

_Does he really care that much for me? _She felt light-headed and flattered but it wasn't the right moment to think about it.

Caroline's gaze drifted to the blood bag Stefan had produced from his jacket pocket. She eyed the delicious liquid with a burning desire. She hadn't drunk blood in almost three days and the weakness was already manifesting on her trembling knees.

Stefan saw her hungry look and tossed the blood bag through the barrier, but to everyone's surprise it never made it through.

Caroline and Klaus gasped at the sight. _So that's what Bettie did with last night's spell._ Klaus should have though of that.

He was angry now because even if Stefan knew they were captured, he could do nothing to help as long as the barrier was standing in between them. It was all on Bonnie's hands now.

A clapping of hands made them all turn to look at the source. Klaus and Caroline knew it was Bettie, while Stefan and Bonnie looked for the first time at the person who was behind this scheme.

They had no time to react though. Bettie cast a quick spell that sent Stefan flying to the wall. He slid to the ground with a suppressed groan, but found himself unable to move. Apparently the witch hadn't released the grip on him.

Bonnie tried to retaliate and managed to push Bettie a few feet back, but she was surprisingly strong. Bettie laughed at the younger witch and then with her other hand aimed at Bonnie she cast another spell.

The immortals could only imagine that this a battle of wills. The air resonated with unseen power, the spells being cast in both directions. It was the first time in a long time that Bonnie felt helpless. She fell on her knees, a trickle of blood flowing from her nose.

"Bonnie, stop it. You can't fight her. Go away." Caroline screamed from where she was standing. She didn't want anyone to get hurt on her account.

"Isn't it funny? A Bennett witch that should be strong, but is weak." Bettie intensified her spell and Bonnie was now writhing in pain on the ground. "A witch who should be by my side but instead is protecting those monsters. You deserve to die, traitor."

"I don't care about Klaus. I only want to save my friend." Bonnie managed to say through gritted teeth. She could hardly breathe now.

"Well sweetie, I cannot do this. And if you are smart enough, you will stay out of my way." she released the grip on both Stefan and Bonnie. Stefan flashed to Bonnie and carried her away from that damned basement.

Bettie was clearly satisfied with the outcome of this small encounter. She was in control of the situation and it gave her immense satisfaction to see Klaus suffering.

He was looking at her like a predator, but hadn't he learned that he was the prey now? Laughing at his inability to retaliate, she gave them both the mother of all headaches, one so powerful and bone-crushing that had them both fall to the ground.

"How is our score so far love?" Bettie mocked Klaus. "Bettie - Klaus 2-0." Then she got serious again. "The next one to come here to help you won't make it out alive."


	13. Chapter 13

Bonnie was laying on the couch back at the Salvatore boarding house, her eyes closed and the pain visible on her face. Elena was beside her looking worried as hell. Damon was talking to Stefan in a low voice.

"What happened down there? Is Blondie OK?" Damon asked trying to hide his impatience.

"Caroline and Klaus were kidnapped by a nutjob. Bettie is a witch, Klaus killed her family in front of her, she wants revenge." Stefan sighed and it was obvious he felt weak and unable to find a solution.

"Classic story. Why take Caroline?"

"Think about it. Klaus is nearly indestructible. What would you do if you wanted revenge?"

"Kill his family. In front of him. Painfully." Damon replied matter-of-factly. Then it dawned on him. "But they are just as hard to kill. So go for the next best thing." He took a sip from his glass even though it was still early in the morning.

"Yeah." It sounded like defeat and it was disheartening.

"Couldn't Sabrina the teenage witch do something?" Damon would never miss a chance to tease Bonnie, though he couldn't completely hide the concern in his voice. If Bonnie was a wreck after confronting the crazy witch, they were in trouble.

"I can hear you you idiot." Bonnie snapped, her eyes still closed.

"What? What did I say?" Damon shrugged.

"There was a barrier and the witch was way to strong." Stefan added knowing Bonnie was beating herself over her defeat earlier this morning.

"Who is this witch anyway?" Elena joined the conversation.

"I haven't heard of her before, but she uses some very old and powerful spells. I can't really tell where is she drawing such an immense power from." Bonnie didn't mean to sound so apologetic but she really was sorry to have disappointed her friends.

"Now that you know her power, can you bring her down? We will be by your side all the way." Elena squeezed her best friend's hand to show her support.

"I'll only know if I try." she replied seriously. "But I can't do it unless I draw power from the full moon."

"The full moon? How long till the next one?" Stefan didn't like the idea of stalling the rescue. Unfortunately there was no other way.

"Around 20 days." Bonnie said after considering the information.

"Then we have to go give Blondie a nice supply of A positive." Damon said in a content voice. "And then tell her to relax in the company of a psycho for 20 days. No problem there."

"There is a small problem with that." Stefan didn't want to be the one to break the bad news but Bonnie seemed too shaken to utter the words. "The barrier does not allow for anything to pass."

"But the one in the tomb " Elena was struck in disbelief. "Oh my god..." She was on the verge of tears. Now that they found Caroline they were going to lose her. So cruel.

"She won't last for 20 days without blood." Damon's voice now mirrored the despair in his heart.

"We will save her before she is desiccated." Elena said firmly, but she knew the truth. They may not make it this time.

"Can she be brought back if she is desiccated?" Bonnie asked seeking for hope like the lost searching for a clue to find their way.

"Yes, she can be revived with blood. It's just going to be very painful." Stefan revealed reluctantly.

Elena sighed in relief, Caroline was strong and could handle pain. Since there was hope, they would find a way to save her.

"What if we called Elijah? He might know a way out of this mess." Damon's suggestion surprised all of them, he was no fan of said original.

"I don't think he can defeat Bettie. I would leave him out of this unless it is our last resort." Bonnie said standing up from the couch. The headache was now gone and she felt a little more energetic.

"I agree with Bonnie. Lets not complicate things yet." Stefan agreed.

"How was Caroline?" Elena asked Bonnie, ashamed that she had not asked this from the beginning.

"She looked fine given the circumstances. More than fine actually." Bonnie said enigmatically, refusing to return the gazes from Elena and Damon.

"Klaus ... you son of a witch." Damon's smirk earned him a pillow flying all the way from where Elena was standing to him. He ducked and the pillow was lost somewhere behind the couch.

"Stefan, tell me." Elena demanded. She didn't like the canny look on Damon's face, nor the disturbing images conjured in her mind.

Running his fingers through his hair, he turned to face Elena. "She was fine. She and Klaus ... are just getting along better than expected." There was no easy way of describing what they say without raising suspicion.

"Oh for God's sake, spill it out. What did you see?" Damon was impatient. A little gossip was what they needed now to ease the tension.

"You're so immature Damon." Bonnie said, but since Elena was waiting for an answer she didn't want her friend to be left in the dark. Besides, she was dying to talk about that. "We found them peacefully sleeping in each other's arms." she declared.

"What?" Elena's eyes grew ridiculously wide and her mouth fell open. "We were worried to death about her and she was sleeping with that psycho killer?" Elena stood up and started pacing through the parlor.

She couldn't believe it. How could Caroline be so naive and let Klaus play with her? How could she forget what he had done to Jenna? To Tyler's mom?

"Could it be one of Klaus's schemes just to seclude her and have her think of him as her saviour?" Elena asked not wanting to accept that her friend could actually harbor some genuine feelings for the much hatred hybrid.

"Relax Elena, you've seen too many movies." Damon couldn't understand why Elena refused so badly to accept the possibility of Caroline actually liking Klaus. Not that he liked Klaus, but he sympathised with the whole love against all odds situation. "They were just sleeping, right Stefan?"

"Yes, as she said they were only sharing the bed. Nothing happened between them."

"Not yet." Damon couldn't refrain from adding with a sardonic smile. "Should we make him a regular at our Gang's meetings? Wait we can't, since we are constantly plotting to kill his sorry ass."

"What would you have her do? Fight Klaus just by tossing insults at him?" Stefan was irritated at how easily they judged Caroline. "It is only human that they have a truce till this is over."

"He is not human." Elena insisted pursing her lips. "Anyway, this is none of my business."

"I suggest we go rest and think of a way to solve this problem." Stefan said motioning for the others to go have some rest.

No one was happy to agree, but they followed his advice.

* * *

Klaus and Caroline were both panting, the aftermath of the splitting headache still leaving them weak.

He was the first to stand up and went to help Caroline as well. She refused his extended hand and stood up on her own. She would not look at him much to his annoyance.

Caroline was still thinking of what just happened. Stefan and Bonnie caught them sleeping together like a happy couple. She could still see the look on their faces, not quite accusatory, but neither understanding.

It felt like she was caught doing something unacceptable. She was considering the amount of effort they had put into killing Klaus. But what was she supposed to do? It's not like her friends hadn't used her in the past as a distraction to Klaus.

But now she was feeling vulnerable to him. She knew he was a murderer, he was an abomination, a mistake nature was striving to fix for hundreds of years. He was evil, wasn't he?

But unfortunately she had had glimpses of the person he was beyond being a hybrid. If he cared for something, he was fierce at protecting it. He said he fancied her and she felt that despite all that happened between them in the past, he would protect her.

Bettie believed he cared about Caroline, so it must be true then. But he was such a complicated man that her head started aching again.

Klaus was sure he was going to pay for the bliss he felt when he held her in his arms. The unfortunate event of her friends finding them entangled like lovers made her distant once again.

_She is definitely beating herself over what her friends are going to think._ She didn't seem so content now of her previous decision. He hated himself for putting her through this, though he wouldn't change those precious moments for anything in the world.

It was unsettling that Bonnie couldn't handle Bettie. If he knew anything about witches, she would probably need the force and energy from the full moon. But it was 20 or more days till the next one. Caroline wouldn't make it, though he promised to himself he wouldn't let her suffer.

He went and set on the chair, his arms resting on the table. This way she could sit on the bed and feel more comfortable, if she could bring herself to sit on that same scandalous spot.

Which she did. Caroline felt like her life force was sucked away, her body weak despite her efforts to keep a strong facade.

The more she thought about their situation, the more she thought about him, the more a sudden feeling of grief washed through her. It was painful and made her gasp for breath.

Klaus being a ruthless killer was no news to her, so why all of the sudden she felt the urge to cry? It was like he had robbed her of something so precious to her that her heart was bleeding. The images of Bettie's young daughters, lying lifeless on the ground with eyes pleading for mercy were assaulting her mind.

Why hadn't he spared the little ones? How could he be so cruel? If it was an eye for an eye, he could have killed Bettie, but not the little angels.

Caroline looked at him just briefly and then averted her eyes to a blind spot in the wall. Was it normal that all of a sudden she had this strong desire to soak her hands in his blood? To punish him for the unspoken cruelty he had committed without regret?

She felt disgusted and disappointed at herself for finding him attractive. His beautiful eyes had no right looking at her with love. He was like the plague, leaving only death behind.

He costed Bettie her family and her sanity, he costed her her friends. How much more did they have to pay to satisfy this monster?

"Are you OK love?" Klaus asked with genuine concern in his voice. She was silent for too long, that was not a good sign.

"Stop calling me that." she snapped. "I don't believe you are capable of love."

_Anyone capable of love is capable of being saved._ Klaus remembered her words very clearly. So now she was saying he was beyond salvation? He was not worthy of being saved? She had given up on him.

Maybe he wasn't, but it hurt like hell hearing her say that. Maybe Bettie's story had touched her and turned her against him. His past and his present would always be in the middle of his future with her.

"I am sorry." he said simply, not finding something more appropriate to say.

"You're sorry for being bad or for being caught?" Hatred sipped through her words, stinging like vervain.

"Good bad, after leaving a thousand years those words lose their meaning." he said looking at her face.

"That's not true. If you were a good man, so many lifes would be spared, so much grief would be avoided."

"And if I was never born the world would be a better place?" his voice did not betray the turmoil inside his heart. He sounded like the insensitive killer she believed him to be.

A world without him in it seemed bare, yet easier to live in. No hard decisions to be made, no dilemmas, no regrets for wanting to give in to his charms. The guilt crushed her mercilessly.

"Yes it would be." she said after considering for a moment.

"Things are not black and white Caroline." Klaus was hurt but decided not to let her see it. What was the point in that? She made it crystal clear she didn't care for him at all.

"No, for you there is only red, the color of blood you have on your hands." It was like an unseen force was taking all her rage and venting it to him.

An imaginary white oak stake went straight through his heart. Her words killed him.

"You are young and for you everything is white." His eyes were now the dark blue of the stormy sea. "You have killed but that was not for your pleasure. Just a tiny dot who did not make the white less pure. You can atone for it as long as you protect those you love."

Caroline wanted to respond to that, but something held her back. His voice was almost hypnotising, every word carved in her mind.

"Then killing becomes easier. You just have to find a reason behind that. Bad witches, evil vampires, satanic werevolves. You are still as white as snow, a little light grey area at the corners doesn't make a difference." he continued as if in a trance. "Give yourself time, you will not notice that now that grey has spread a little more, like a virus. And before you know it you are pitch black. You and I are not so different Caroline."

"I am nothing like you." she barked afraid that he might be right.

"You are in the beginning love." he said ignoring her constant objection to the endearment. "I am at the end."


	14. Chapter 14

Caroline was contemplating Klaus's last words. Deep in her heart she knew it she wasn't pure as snow anymore. She had killed people and dots of grey appeared before her eyes.

_Am I the same as Klaus? Am I a vicious killer who doesn't feel remorse? No, no. I am not. I cried for the twelve witches I killed, I had no choice. So I am not evil right? _She was sitting on the bed once again, her back to the cold wall, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Klaus, why am I here?" She asked like a frightened child. "Is it because I deserve to be punished for being a vampire?"

He looked at her, sadness covering his features. His Caroline was insecure, that's why she always tried so hard to be perfect. He didn't want her to feel it was her fault she was locked there with him. Because it was actually his fault.

"No Caroline, you are here because I love you. I am the one being punished. And deserving it."

"Why do you love me?" She was starting to sound a little strange but Klaus wanted to help her understand.

"Why do you love the sun?" He answered her question with another question.

Caroline smiled broadly as if suddenly everything was clear. But that smile didn't last long. She was the sun to his darkness, the warm flame to his cold heart. But what did he offer her instead? Death and blood and pain.

"Why should I love you?" she demanded to know. She was confused and it was his duty to clarify things.

He ran his fingers over his brow. "Why do I feel like I am in an interview to get a job?" He gave her a warm smile and then added. "Probably you shouldn't. I want to offer you the world, but it is you who must decide if you want to share it with me."

She paused to think about it. Klaus held is breath, feeling that a verdict was about to be announced.

"Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?" she asked singing. It was a verse from a song he had heard somewhere.

"You will always be young and beautiful. And I would never want anyone else by my side." His eyes locked with hers and he tried to convey all his emotions in that contact.

"I will not age. But I don't feel young anymore. I have seen too much to be young and innocent." She was talking more to herself than to him and it startled him.

"Innocence is something even humans lose. You have seen too much, you have gained knowledge. And there are so much more to see. I promised once to show you the beauty of this world, arts and music. When you are ready, I will be there to keep my promise."

"And I will never be beautiful." It was like she wasn't even listening to him. "Look at my hair! And what about my make-up? It is a crime to walk around with this face. I should be arrested and punished."

Something was wrong with her, she didn't seem to understand where she was and what was happening. The stress must have been overwhelming, but he was there to help her.

He went to her and dragged her gently from the bed. Like an obedient child, she didn't pose any objection. He led her to the bathroom at the end of the corridor and after lowering the toilet lid, he made her sit there.

Caroline was curious to see where this was leading too. She sat there admiring his smooth moves, the way he looked in control of the situation. She knew she had to be careful with this man, but at that moment she couldn't remember why. Her mind was a little foggy at that point.

Klaus took a patch of paper, steeped into the tap water and then turned to her. Always looking her in the eyes as if saying _Trust me,_ he placed his left hand under her chin and raised her face a little. Then, with the paper in his right hand, he gently started to clean the messy make-up all over her face.

Caroline forgot to breathe. It felt so good being cared for, she didn't complain at all. He was silent, his gentle moves soothing her. She closed her eyes when he tried to wipe the traces of mascara under her eyes. She should be doing that by herself, it was stupid to let a man take care of that. But she loved the feeling of those particular long fingers over her skin.

It took five minutes to remove the redundant make-up from her lovely face. It felt like eternity to both of them.

Klaus tossed the blackened paper into the bin and then raised her by the elbows to let her inspect the result in the mirror. Her face looked clean and a bit rosy from the gentle strokes, but other than that she was the same pretty girl that everyone knew. He had done a great job.

They silently returned to the room and set to their previous spots.

"You will always be a beautiful person." Klaus said solemnly, but she was not listening to him.

In a swift move she approached the barrier. Klaus couldn't guess at her intentions.

"Mom? How did you find me?" Caroline asked, her voice filled with joy to see her mother.

"I will always find my baby girl." Liz answered a bit touched. "Why did you run off with him?"

"I didn't run off with him, mom. We were kidnapped by ..."

"Stop lying to me Caroline. You think I haven't noticed how you look at him when you think no one is watching?" Liz's voice was now kind of accusing, catching Caroline off guard.

"Mom you're wrong. I'm in love with Tyler, I have nothing to do with Klaus. I want nothing to do with him. Please believe me." Caroline was sobbing now, craving for her mother's acceptance.

Klaus was frozen in place. She was talking to thin air and by what she said, he gathered she thought she was talking to her mother. He didn't like what he heard at all. _I'm in love with Tyler ... I want nothing to do with Klaus. _

He must be a masochist. She stabbed him in the heart repeatedly and he waited there for more. The problem though wasn't his wounded pride.

Caroline was hallucinating. The lack of blood and the stress had finally caught up with her, desiccation now a very real threat. It hurt him to watch her wither that way.

He approached her carefully and when he stood mere inches away, he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Caroline, come sit with me." a subtle ordering tone in his voice, not wanting to alarm her.

"Klaus, I am talking to my mot..." she stopped in mid-sentence when she realized her mother was gone. Was she ever there?

He looked at her with compassion, she would need all the support she could get.

She wouldn't look Klaus in the eye. Her gaze swept over his shoulders, to something that froze her blood. She saw two little blonde girls in their night gowns. They looked dishevelled and scared. They held each other's hands, the taller one a step in front of the smaller one. They tried to get through the barrier and Caroline gasped when she saw a small foot showing up their side of the barrier.

The girls would look like they had just woke up from their beds, were it not for the huge blood stains over their little hearts.

Caroline started to cry unable to stop the pain in her heart at the macabre sight.

"Klaus!" she gasped. He followed her gaze to nothingness and wondered what she was seeing this time. "How did you kill Bettie's daughters?"

Of course she was seeing Bettie's daughters, it made sense.

"Caroline ... don't." He pleaded with her.

"Answer me." she ordered. She needed to know what was real and what not.

"I snapped their necks." He whispered, not feeling at all proud and almighty at that moment.

She sighed visibly relaxed. So she was hallucinating. He hadn't ripped their hearts out, so they weren't real. But she felt really hungry. Her stomach made a whining sound and she was embarrassed that he heard it.

"Hang on a little longer love." He encouraged her wishing she believed him. They were standing close to each other and he longed to hold her in his arms and protect her.

"Am I interrupting something here?" Damon Salvatore was staying a few feet away from the barrier, his face showing amusement but his voice hard as steel.

"Oh great. My least favorite Salvatore. Are you here on inspection duty?" Klaus was irritated to see Damon. He wasn't in the mood to exchange witty retorts with the brat.

"Come now, you know you like me way better than my little brother. Every one does." He was being cocky and he knew he was annoying the hybrid, which in turn made him enjoy this little encounter.

"Damon, are you for real?" Caroline sounded scared and vulnerable and Damon felt a pang of hurt seeing her like that. She had begun to desiccate, her skin pale and already hallucinating.

"Yes Blondie, I am real. Unless you generally use to dream about me." Klaus wanted to wipe away that irritating smirk off his face.

"You're a jerk. Definitely real." Caroline smiled at her friend. "Why are you here? Did Bonnie find a way to let us out?"

"Damon behind you!" Klaus saw the figure behind Damon just in time to warn him. Thankfully the younger vampire was fast enough to avoid the stake in Bettie's hand.

"Tsk tsk tsk Klaus, you ruined my plan now. Really Damon, why are you here?"

"They told me you were ugly, but the sight of you hurts my eyes." His cold smile would send shivers to any woman, but not to Bettie. She was prepared for the infamous Damon Salvatore.

"Oh I'm sorry, that can be arranged. Let me burn your beautiful eyes so they don't hurt anymore." She raised her hand and uttered some unintelligible words. "What the hell?"

Bettie was surprised to see that her spell wasn't working. The azure eyes that were mocking at her didn't seem at all fazed by her show of power. Caroline and Klaus were taken by surprise as well.

"You ought to be smarter than that witchie" he mocked her mercilessly.

"How did you do that?" she asked puzzled. She thought no one could break her spells.

"Lets say my charms convinced a powerful witch to protect my gorgeous eyes." Caroline smiled knowingly while Klaus rolled his eyes at the arrogant man.

Damon flashed in front of Bettie and twisted her arm so quickly that the sound of bone breaking echoed through the basement. Bettie screamed in agony holding her arm. Her scream was doubled when Caroline let out a painful one as well.

Klaus's blood froze in his veins at the shriek from the lovely vampire. She was holding her arm as well muttering _oh my god_ all the while.

"Caroline ..." and then he understood. "Damon! Stop it!" His tone was so commanding that even though Damon never obeyed to orders, he stopped and released Bettie.

"What now?"

"She is linked to Caroline. Whatever she feels, Caroline feels." His face left no doubts whether he would allow it to go any further.

"It's not like Caroline will die from a broken arm, right?" He smirked glad that the barrier prevented the hybrid from killing him right then and there.

"You imbecile, she can't heal properly without blood. And even if she did, I won't have you inflict pain on her." His blood was boiling now, if he could pass the barrier the arrogant vampire would be nothing more than a bad memory.

Bettie was laughing triumphantly. Her plan had proven very insightful and she was safe now. She tried to give Damon an aneurism, but was once again disappointed that it didn't work. She then noticed the small pendant around his neck. That explained everything. The Bennett witch had made a protective amulet and there was nothing that would hurt him till the moon shone bright. After that, she would teach him a lesson for laying his dirty hands on her.

"You're not as stupid as you look Klaus." she said, venom pouring from her words and her eyes. "You cannot hurt me. But I can hurt you. So what are you going to do now? And take your lap dog away from me." she said not even looking at Damon.

"Hey? Who are you calling a lap dog?" He sped once again to Bettie, determined to hurt her severely. Caroline would understand, he was sure.

But Bettie was prepared this time. Damon collided with an invisible barrier around the witch and cursed when he realized he couldn't do anything.

Caroline was still holding her arm and her face was contorted in pain. Klaus was watching everything with fervent eyes. There had to be a way. For every spell there was a counterspell. He was not a warlock, but he knew that much.

He remembered the night Bettie killed the wolf and reinforced the barrier. It was then that she probably linked herself to Caroline as a security measure. So, if Caroline could feel everything that Bettie felt, was it possible ... An idea formed to his mind, a little outstretched but they couldn't afford to be picky.

Klaus turned his full attention to Caroline who was still trying to overcome the unexpected pain. With a move as quick as lightning he pinned her to the wall a few feet behing her. His right hand was instantly behind her head, while his left running gently down her right arm. The caress was so delicate that she was shocked.

Without giving her time to react, he pressed his lips to hers. She was so surprised that she grabbed his shirt to keep her balance. It wasn't necessary, his body was now pressed to hers providing no room to escape.

But who wanted to escape? Caroline was breathless. His lips were so soft, all she wanted was to taste them. His sharp teeth grazed across her lower lip without drawing blood, driving her crazy. Her hands went up and down his hard chest, wanting to memorize every inch of his perfect body.

She must be crazy. She should push him away, instead she parted her lips, she wanted to kiss him so badly that nothing else mattered. He had promised her the world and he was keeping his promise now. His intoxicating scent filled her senses so completely she forgot her name. The only thing in her mind was his name. _Klaus._

He never believed that she would respond that way. His heart was now racing like mad, his whole being focussed on savouring her divine mouth. She tasted like nectar, she was like the sun, hot and burning under his fingertips. Their tongues danced like mad as if there was no tomorrow.

After a few moments he broke the kiss, trying to control himself. This was much more than he hoped for. Still leaning on her luscious body, Klaus turned his head to see Bettie.

"Wow ... Get a room you two." This was all so sudden that Damon couldn't believe his eyes. They all knew that Klaus was in love with Caroline but he didn't expect that much passion. And he certainly didn't expect Vampire Barbie to reciprocate the feeling.

"We already have a room, mate." Klaus answered still not removing his eyes from Bettie.

Caroline was breathless. She was ready to pass out, the sensations surging through her body so overwhelming. She couldn't believe she kissed him back. Even more unsettling was the fact that she wanted the kiss to go on forever. Unacceptable.

Her hands still rested on his chest, just over his heart. She could feel the amazing rhythm of a heart beating for her. She dared hope that this was a promise of what would happen if she let him love her. But could she be that selfish? She raised her eyes hesitantly to look at his face.

He was facing away from her, so she had the opportunity to admire his perfectly sculptured features, the stubble on his handsome face, the curve of those delicious lips, those eyes so blue she would never get tired of looking at them.

She was so entranced in the aftermath of their kiss that she barely listened to what was being sad. She just followed his gaze to the witch.

Bettie's eyes were wide in horror. What had just happened? She felt overwhelmed by a sensation long forgotten. Her body was on fire, she could almost feel his touch on her flesh. She was disgusted. She hated that man with all her heart and soul, yet her treacherous body seemed to enjoy his touch, his lips. She felt a ferocious craving for her sworn enemy. It was crazy. He had killed her little babies, how could she feel this way?

She fell to her knees, screaming in pain. Tears were falling from her eyes, yet the forbidden desire still lingered inside of her. She had enjoyed every single moment of that passionate kiss. But it wasn't her, it was Caroline. They were linked together, so she was now feeling everything the vampire was feeling.

Klaus was so cruel that he had tainted her. She wanted nothing more than to kill him right there. She raised her hand and muttered the words.

Klaus was watching her intently, so he grabbed Caroline and flashed them away seconds before the table and chair flew across the room and shattered where they were standing before.

Caroline was hanging from his shirt still dizzy from what happened. Klaus placed a hand under her chin and gently raised her face to look him in the eye.

"I love you Caroline. Please forgive me." She looked at him confused, her huge eyes full of trust.

With a move no one perceived, he snapped her neck.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Author's Note: **__**Once again, I want to thank everyone for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting. It's a pleasure to have you all as companions to this fantasy trip. ******__Special thanks go to MelodiousVengeance, I owe you a Whoa ;-)_

_**A short note about the "Klaus killing children" part of the story. I realize it comes as shocking, but in my understanding Klaus is a thousand years old vampire who has been known for his cruelty and intolerance (Evil and emotionless they call him and evil he is). Seeing him in such a light I wouldn't expect him to have a strict over-18 policy. From his point of view he took revenge for the attempt on his brother's life and was merciful enough by his own standards (snapping ones's neck considered a clean death if there is such a thing).  
The fact that the Gang succeeded at killing that same brother but escaped intact is attributed to the influence of Caroline in his life. He can't change his ways in a day, but he is willing to.**_

_**In the show they don't explicitly mention him (or any other villain) killing children for obvious reasons, just as they show the Gang going to school **__**only **_for proms and events :P

**_So, I won't apologize for my story, but I apologize for ruining your mood._**

**_Take care and enjoy! _**

* * *

Klaus caught Caroline before she hit the ground and placed her lifeless body on the bed. Her beautiful hair fell around her like a golden waterfall, her face so peaceful he felt his heart sink at what he lost.

"Whoa ... What was that? Are you mad?" Damon couldn't believe his eyes. The bastard had just snapped Caroline's neck after lecturing him about a broken arm.

Damon vowed to kill Klaus no matter what. The sudden thud on his right made him return to reality. He turned his head and was surprised to see Bettie collapse to the ground like an empty shell.

If he wasn't a vampire, he would have died of a heart attack. His puzzled look went from the much hated hybrid to Vampire Barbie and then to the fallen witch.

"Is she dead?" Klaus inquired, his gaze never leaving Caroline's face.

"Dead." Damon pointed at Caroline's still form. Then pointing at Bettie's body. "Deader. Care to elaborate on your thinking or the LACK of it? Why did you kill Caroline?" He was mad at Klaus, but deep down he understood his reasons.

He had never seen the Original so depressed and hurt. He was standing beside the bed and caressed her golden locks, as if he was saying goodbye. Even if Damon would like nothing more than to stake the psycho, he felt sorry for him. He knew from experience how painful unrequited love was. Even worse, knowing that the seed of love was there in the heart of the other person, but you were not good enough to give it a try.

"What were you thinking?" He yelled at Klaus just because he couldn't stand the heavy silence anymore.

Klaus had no need to justify his actions to Damon, to anyone for that matter. He felt so empty that everything seemed insignificant. He had just killed the woman he loved, something she would never forget. He couldn't stand the waiting till her beautiful eyes opened again.

"When I kissed Caroline, I saw Bettie's discomfort. I realized then the connection worked both ways." His tone was stable, no signs of emotion coloring his velvet voice.

"Right, I am sure you kissed her just to test Bettie." Damon snorted. Like Klaus could fool anyone with that performance. He had seen the passion in his eyes and for a tiny moment he was happy that Blondie had found someone to look at her like that. But that was before the douche killed her in cold blood.

"I never said it was only for that." Klaus ran his long fingers through his already disheveled dirty blonde hair. "Anyway, since you couldn't kill the witch, I saw no other way to eliminate her."

"Wait a minute pal, I COULD kill the witch. You-ordered-me-not-to-hurt-Caroline." Damon over-pronounced the last sentence, irritation pouring from every pore of his body.

"Since you COULDN'T kill the witch after she raised a barrier, this was the only way to kill her. Pal." Klaus's voice was lower than usual, but the look in his eyes hinted that at that moment he was in no mood to play games. Something Damon perceived clearly. "It looks to me like it worked."

"I hate to admit it but you have a point there." he looked once again at the dead witch. "You're not that tough now Bettie girl, are you?"

But he felt no joy in this. Something was bothering him, well, apart from his dead friend on the bed.

"Yeah, it worked." Klaus sighed, not wanting to dwell on the cost of his little stunt.

"You're lucky I was here. If it had been Stefan"

"What exactly would have been different?" Klaus interrupted the younger vampire. He was fed up with these kids thinking they could mess with him.

"He would bore you to death with threats and lectures." Damon raised an eyebrow, his signature smirk plastered on his face. "Me? You and me are much more alike than you think."

"A most disturbing thought." Klaus retorted, a bitter smile on his face. Truth be told, he couldn't handle Stefan's preaching right now.

"Yeah, laugh all you want, but right now I may be the only friend you have." Damon wished Klaus knew how the others talked of him. Even if Caroline decided to give him a chance, her friends would never accept it and eventually she would have to choose.

Klaus knew Damon was referring to him and Caroline being together. "A friend I no longer need." He said mysteriously.

"Not that you had much hope before, but now? Phew ... The sleeping beauty won't wake up by the kiss of her British Prince Charming. And when she wakes, I wouldn't want to be in your shoes."

"I have done enough killing for one day. Don't tempt me." Klaus threatened Damon, though he was not really convincing.

"I am really scared now Klaus." He mocked the hybrid and, with a deadly serious face, he flashed in front of Klaus wanting to stab him. All he had was a simple wooden stake, hidden up his right sleeve. He wouldn't kill Klaus, but he would definitely hurt him. And ruin his shirt.

_On a second thought, that shirt is already ruined. Such a pity._ Damon was enjoying this little game with Klaus while they were waiting for Caroline to wake up.

When he was inches away from Klaus he slammed against something fierce and fell on his back. Both the attacker and the hybrid were rendered speechless. The barrier was still in place.

"What the hell?" Damon cursed rubbing his forehead.

Klaus was at a loss for worlds. He believed that killing Bettie would resolve the magic. But it was plain as daylight he was wrong. He had killed Caroline for nothing.

Damon grabbed his cell phone and called Bonnie but he got her voice mail. "Bonnie. We have a problem. Call me."

* * *

It had been more than three hours and she was still ... dead. Klaus was pacing back and forth in the room, unable to think. Why wasn't she waking up? Why was it taking so long?

Damon had gone back to the boarding house trying to figure out a solution. There was nothing he could do at this point but wait. Patience was not his best quality.

Caroline begin to stir but she was too weak and drifted back to unconsciousness. He kneeled by the bed and placed a hand over her forehead. She was still frozen. Her pale face was like transparent and she seemed so delicate and vulnerable.

Could it be that desiccation made her so weak she couldn't even recover from something like this? If so, it was his fault her eyelids were still closed.

He didn't think twice, but bit into his own wrist and brought it over her mouth. When the first drops of blood fell on her tightly pressed lips, the vibrant red over her colorless flesh created such a contrast that he wanted to capture that moment in a drawing.

_After she wakes up, all I will ever have of her are my drawings._ The thought was unbearable, so he pushed it away. There was still hope, he lied to himself.

A few seconds of pure agony passed till she moved her lips. Her tongue darted out and collected the precious liquid. Her eyes were still closed, but now she seemed to be slowly coming back to life. A sigh of relief escaped from his lips and he lowered his wrist so that she could drink from it.

Whether it was instinct or she was finally wide awake, he didn't know. He just felt her mouth close over the gash in his flesh and gulp the blood with an unquenchable thirst. It seemed like an eternity, but all it took were a few seconds.

And then she pushed his hand away. In disgust. Her eyes were wide open and she was looking at him. With hate.

A few drops of blood still lingered at the corner of her mouth. He wanted to wipe away that reminder of her vulnerability, but he didn't dare.

"Stay away from me." she yelled with a renewed power from his blood.

"Caroline, I'm so sorry" he started knowing full well it meant nothing to her.

"You snapped my neck you monster. Get away from me. I don't want to see you." She was nearly hysteric now and he couldn't blame her. He stood up and moved a few steps back to give her space.

She woke up from the bed in a swift move and went as far away from him as she could. Her neck was sore, her body ached all over, but surprisingly, her hunger was somehow quelled.

Caroline wiped away the blood from her face with the back oh her hand. She loathed him and his blood. He couldn't kill her like cattle and then revive her with his blood.

"I thought this was the only way to get out of here." he said in a very low voice. She was so agitated that she couldn't stand at him talking. But he had to explain to her why he did it.

"You had to get out of here so you sacrificed ME?" She raised her voice conscious of the fact that he may not respond well to this. Klaus was not famous for his tolerance.

_To hell with it, he killed me once, what worse can he do?_

"No love, you had to get out of here as soon as possible. You wouldn't have made it without blood for more than one day. I hate to see you getting hurt." _Bad choice of words._

"You think snapping my neck is considered a yoga exercise? You killed me Klaus. Stop saying you care about me being hurt."

"You're right. I shouldn't have done it." He admitted unwillingly.

Caroline turned around and her eyes fell on Bettie's unmoving body. The first expression showing on her angry face was shock, then something close to relief. She guessed that by snapping her neck, Klaus had killed Bettie too. So, it was over. She couldn't see Damon anywhere but that was the least of her problems.

"Was it worth it?" Her voice was normal now, which was disconcerting judging by the sparkle in her eyes. This was not neurotic Caroline.

Klaus lowered his eyes. How could he say to her that it was all for nothing? Through the corner of his eyes he saw her moving around the room trying to calm down.

Caroline was furious, but she kept her thoughts to her. She saw the table and the chair all broken to pieces at the corner of the room. She remembered Bettie tossing the furniture at them out of frustration.

It was after _the kiss. _What kiss? She remembered no kiss. She erased that episode from her memory. Klaus was nothing to her. She would never again think of _that moment._

With what she thought was lightening speed, Caroline grabbed a large piece of wood that seemed sharp enough to act like a stake. She than ran into Klaus, thrusting the shard in his body with all her might.

Klaus saw her grab one of the legs of the broken chair and running towards him. It wasn't as fast as she thought, by the determination in her eyes convinced him that she had put all her strength and courage into punishing him. He prepared for the impact and the resulting pain.

The stake pierced his left lung, almost grazing his heart. Caroline used her momentum to drive the shard even further.

They ended up once again pinned to the wall that had already seen too much action. But now it was Klaus that had his back on the wall and Caroline who was pushing by throwing all her weight at him. Caroline thought the stake went all the way through his body and connected to the brick wall, the sickening sound of bones breaking and flesh being shredded sounding like thunder.

He moaned in pain, but no scream escaped his lips. His arms hang loose on each side without touching her, without a sign of resistance. He could barely breathe, the pain was not negligible at all. But he deserved it, she needed a way to vent her anger, it was as simple as that.

They were so close she couldn't prevent herself from remembering that glorious kiss. She had wanted it, she couldn't lie to herself. And now ... her fingers were slippery from the blood flowing from his wound. That delicious blood was going to waste, but that was beyond the point.

Caroline was panting, all her fury spent now that she punished him. She was not so naive as to think that she could stake him that easily, he had allowed her to. She raised her eyes defiantly to see his face not caring if retribution would come swiftly.

But all she saw was his unreadable expression. He was looking intently at her, blue grey eyes locked on baby blue eyes, but other than that he was completely immobile. The only thing that broke the absolute silence was the rhythmic beating of his heart.

Suddenly Caroline was aware of their bodies being pressed tightly together, the intimacy sending a shiver through her spine. She released the wooden shard she was holding into and, pressing her hands to his chest she pushed herself away.

"We're done." The finality in her voice hurt him more than the stake protruding from his chest.

Then she sped away to leave the room, her job here done. Little did she understand when she found herself on the floor, knocked back by the force of the magic shield. Incomprehension filled her eyes, unable to guess at what happened.

"It appears so, love." Klaus whispered and with what seemed to require all his strength, he managed to pull the shard from his body. He tried to catch his breath, removing the shard was just as painful as being stabbed. He kept the piece of blooded wood in his hands, trying to remember that love hurts.

"What is this?" She said pointing to the thin air in front of her. Bettie was dead, she could see her body. Why was the barrier still in place?

"I don't know how it is possible." Klaus said gritting his teeth.

He let the wood fall to the floor, the clicking sound maximized by the lack of other noises. He slowly slid towards the floor, his back on the wall, till he sat down. A dark red trail was visible now where he stood moments ago.

Caroline didn't know what to do. She stabbed him, she thought she would go away and never see him again. But they were still stuck together. And it sucked.

"So you killed me in vain?" It was tragicomic really. "Even the mighty Klaus Michaelson got played by a witch." Her laugh filled the space.

"Yes. I made a mistake I will pay for dearly." he said, contemplating the long hours of torture at being so close to her, but so far from her heart.


	16. Chapter 16

A few hours passed since Damon went back to the boarding house to inform the others of the recent developments. Still no news.

Caroline was restless. After all that happened between her and _him _it was difficult to be in the same room and ignore each other. She had set on the bed since now it was the only place available, he hadn't moved from where he was sitting, next to the Wall of Shame. That was how she called it, but she couldn't really explain what the shame referred to.

She was afraid she was going crazy with nothing to do to pass the time. The worst part was that she didn't know if there was any hope to get out of this nightmare.

Footsteps coming from somewhere behind the basement door made her jump from the bed. She didn't care who it was as long as she had someone to speak to. To her great pleasure it turned out to be her beloved friends.

"Great. Now I feel like I am in the zoo and I am the show." Klaus mumbled to himself.

In a mix of excitement, joy, laughter and tears all the people who loved her were there. Well, almost all. Bonnie and Elena had tears in their eyes, but they kept talking and talking to make her forget her ordeal.

Her mom looked at her lovingly and asked her how she was holding up. Liz looked composed as always, but Caroline could see the worry creeping in the corner of her eyes. She didn't tell Caroline about what Bettie had told her when she called her. It was painful for both women to think of that. Caroline was grateful that they now shared an understanding of each other and had set some boundaries which they respected with reverence.

Matt kept complaining about being left in the dark for so long, but she reassured him that there was nothing he could have done. Stefan would constantly ask her if she was feeling OK.

"How are you feeling Blondie after the _you know what_?" Damon asked Caroline with a teasing smile and a wink. He could sense Klaus tense and waiting just as anxiously for Caroline's response, though he pretended to be uninterested at the gathering a few feet away.

"After what?" Elena asked confused. Damon had told them what had happened, but knowing him, there was probably more to the story than he let them know.

Caroline was suddenly reluctant to look anybody in the eyes. What did Damon mean by that? She hoped he hadn't told the others about the passionate kiss she and the original shared. She was ashamed now that she didn't have the guts to resist. And because she responded to that kiss with an urgency that almost matched his.

"Caroline Forbes. WHAT is he referring to?" Bonnie had come even closer to the barrier to watch her friend's reaction better. "Are you blushing?"

The more Bonnie insisted to know, the more Caroline felt like turning bright red just there and then. She shot Damon a killing glare for bringing _that_ up. A quick glance at the hybrid (she refused to say his name, not even mentally) made her angry. He was now looking at her intently, a fade smile gracing his face.

"Of course not, I'm not blushing. Why would I? Except out of anger for that bastard snapping my neck." Caroline spat, the words coming out of her mouth so quickly she was breathless. Her palms were sweaty, but thank God no one noticed that.

Bonnie searched her friend's face thoroughly for any signs of hiding the truth and then decided to let the matter go. For now. "Right." Then she turned to Klaus, her eyes turning a dark green shade. "You will pay for that."

Klaus liked the way the young powerful witch stood up for her friend. They had crossed paths before and he knew she had the power to do some real damage. He was happy that his Caroline had friends she could count on to protect and support her. Given the circumstances, it was possible she would never let him come close to her again. He would protect her from the shadows, but now he was feeling a little more confident that no harm would come to her.

"Get in line sweetheart." He replied to the witch in a deep provocative voice.

"Bonnie, just ignore him." Caroline advised her best friend. "He's not worth it."

_Right, not worth it._ There was no way he could make her understand. He would give her time to forgive him, hoping she wouldn't use it to forget about him.

Klaus stood up feeling cramped and rusted. Caroline could choose to ignore him, but he was not about to be cast aside by these amateurs. He stood in front of the barrier as far away from her as possible. Not that he was afraid of her rejection, that was no news by now. He just didn't see the point in irritating her even more.

He nodded to Stefan who was standing by, all broody and attentive to all details. The younger man obeyed to the silent request and came closer to hear what the original wanted.

"Make sure to get rid of the body." He didn't use the tone he would use with his servant hybrids. Klaus knew that this wouldn't work, not with Stefan, not at his current position. He knew whatever feeling of friendship they had shared in the past was lost, but he still liked to think he and Stefan understood each other better. And Stefan knew that leaving Bettie's body like that would only mean trouble.

"I'll make the proper arrangements." Liz interrupted looking directly into Klaus's eyes. She hated that man with all her heart for the way he treated her baby girl. But she also knew that if it came to that, he would keep her safe no matter the cost. He had proved it once. "Caroline, I have to go sweetheart. If you need anything, tell Elena and she will tell me. Love you honey."

"Love you too mom. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Caroline's voice faltered slightly as she watched her mother leave. For the briefest moment she felt abandoned, even if she was surrounded by friends and her mother had just left to go to work.

"Bon Bon, how could Damon resist Bettie's power?" Caroline asked Bonnie, trying to overcome the lump that had formed in her throat. She hated being sentimental in front of others. She needed to change the subject as soon as possible.

"I made him a protective amulet. But I didn't have enough power to make one for all of us, that's why he came here alone." Bonnie said as if apologizing for running to her friend's aid with such delay.

"You're strong Bonnie, but you are not almighty." Caroline smiled to relieve Bonnie from her guilt.

"Do you know why is the barrier still up despite the witch being dead?" Klaus asked Bonnie even though he knew she might ignore his question. Apparently everyone was thinking of the same thing.

"I am not sure." She replied surprising the hybrid. Then she continued. "I will do everything in my power to bring the barrier down. But don't make the mistake of assuming I won't let you rot in here if you so much as lay a finger on her again."

She was not exaggerating, Klaus knew it. But he wouldn't let a small town witch talk to him like that. His tolerance was running short with these kids, he may have to remind them at some point of their position.

"I wouldn't dream of it." His velvet voice and his placid smile were deceiving. He tilted his head to the right studying the witch. "But then again I don't take orders from anyone." His smile disappeared.

He didn't give them time to react, hell they didn't even get to blink before he flashed to Caroline, grabbed her in his arms and kissed her plush lips. The gasp from the audience matched the shocked look in her eyes.

Klaus broke the contact, but did not let her go. Pinned there in his strong embrace, she was panting and thrashing to get free of his unyielding grip around her arms. But he was so much stronger than her.

Caroline wanted to slap him, but he wouldn't let her arms free. She was like a caged bird, her breasts touching his hard chest, his masculine scent feeling her nostrils, so tantalizing it made her ... _No, no, no. This can't be happening. Not in front of my friends._

Bonnie and Elena had dropped their mouths in awe. Stefan said nothing but his eyes were unforgiving. Mat had forgotten how to talk. And Damon?

"Don't make a habit out of it." he told Klaus, all the while smirking.

_I will kill the bastard. _Caroline vowed. _Why does he insist on pointing out this is a routine thing?_ Then she gasped. _Well silly, because IT IS. _Her conscience was aligning now with the enemies.

"Let me go you maniac. How many times have I told you to stop kissing me?" She was frustrated and furious, but even she could tell her fists hitting his chest lacked the strength to prove she didn't like it.

A light tingling sensation still lingered on her lips. Her heart would betray her if she wasn't a vampire. There was something fierce and possessive in the way he held her in his arms. She was alarmed by how the desire to fight back mostly originated from the fact that she was embarrassed because her friends saw her. Because that's what was expected of her.

"Actually this is the first time, love." He rewarded her with one of his best smiles, one that would win him the heart of any woman. Definitely not hers. Nope. No way. She was smarter than that.

"A habit?" Elena clung to that detail as if it was vital.

_Perfect. Now Elena will not let go like a dog won't let go of his bone. Thank you very much Damon. And thank you Klaus._

"Klaus, let me go." Caroline demanded, hostility no longer coloring her voice. She was aware that if it came to a match of strength, be it of will or of body, he would win. It was more of a plead really.

It was probably the way she seemed to surrender that made him let go. She was a fighter and she needed to keep that facade up for her friends, even though she knew she had lost. He made his point, there was no reason to still hold her captive in his arms.

But he didn't want to let go. He lied to himself if he believed he only did it to give Bonnie a lesson. He wanted her, but he didn't want to force her. The sparkle in her eyes was probably wishful thinking, the way she fought without her soul in it only due to her weariness. So he let her go reluctantly.

Caroline immediately put some distance between them, for her own sake.

"So what is your plan from now on?" Caroline asked Stefan. She wasn't talking to Damon until he apologized for his unfortunate remarks.

"We will search Bettie's past to see if we can find anything useful." He scratched his forehead and Caroline knew it wasn't good. "We can't make a move until the full moon."

"Oh my God, you have to be joking. That is 15 days from now." Caroline was beginning to panic. She wouldn't last this much, desiccation being the least of her problems.

"Actually it is 19 days." Bonnie added in a small voice, but the superhearing Caroline was blessed and cursed with brought the words to her brain.

Bonnie then went to check Bettie's body which Mat had already covered with a white sheet. She removed the sheet and started to check on the dead witch's pockets for any evidence that might help.

She found nothing of value but her wallet. Without expecting much, she opened it to see inside. Then her eyes grew wide in bewilderment.

"What is it?" Stefan asked after noticing the change in her expression.

Bonnie turned to face the others, saying with a broken voice. "Let me introduce you to Maeve Clarkson, librarian."

Everyone remained silent. It was too much to process.

"I thought she looked familiar, but it never occurred to me." Caroline was at a loss for words.

"If this is Maeve Charkson then who the hell is Bettie Thompson?" No one could answer Damon's question.


	17. Chapter 17

The basement of Klaus's mansion was more silent than a tomb. The faces gathered around the deceased witch just as grim.

Caroline was trying to look past her friends who had now gathered around Bonnie. She was the one kneeling in front of Bettie's ... no, Maeve's body.

They had all hated the mysterious woman, but now they didn't know why. She wasn't who they thought she was.

"Who is this woman?" Matt asked certain that the others wanted to know as well.

"More importantly, what is this woman?" Stefan added lost in his thoughts. What was it about this town that attracted evil like the light attracts butterflies?

"You mean beside being dead?" Damon would have laughed at his little joke if it wasn't such a delicate moment. Now they had lost the only person that knew how to bring down the barrier. "And I can't stress enough that it is HIS fault." He said pointing at Klaus who looked eerily calm.

"I am sorry that you consider your friends stupid, Damon. I think they got it the first three times that you shared that thought." Klaus's voice was cold as ice water.

Damon grimaced, the hybrid was not funny. He earned himself a look from Bonnie, while Stefan cleared his throat to remind him that they weren't here for social purposes.

Bonnie tried to concentrate. She reluctantly placed her hands on Maeve's temples. The contact chilled her to the bones, she would never get used to the presence of death. The young witch whispered a few words, feeling the power resonating through her body.

It took a few moments only, but Bonnie thought it was an eternity. She stepped back with a gasp, trying to gather her thoughts.

"Witchie, did you revive the other witch?" Damon was as impatient as a child.

"How did you survive so long and be so stupid?" Bonnie snapped at him. Damon didn't know the meaning of the phrase _respect the dead._

"Easy. By killing annoying witches." He retorted ignoring Elena's disapproving look.

"Anyway. Maeve is still dead. She was not a witch." Bonnie declared fully aware that this would raise a storm of questions.

"Great. She was human and now she is dead. I feel like the last of my species." Matt said before realising that Elena and Caroline lowered their eyes out of guilt. Somehow humans were the only casualties in this crazy hell hole of a town.

"That can be arranged busboy." Damon said annoyed at the grumpy human.

"Damon, that's enough." Stefan ordered, tired of his immature brother.

"How could she handle magic then?" Elena said before Damon could say another one of his infamous answers.

Bonnie reached and picked up a silver chain hanging from Maeve's neck, extremely careful not to come into direct contact with the small pendant hanging from it. It was a small blue orb shaped like an eye, surrounded by an intricate silver design she couldn't make out. When she had raised the pendant to her eye level, she thought she heard a deep whispering, like a voice coming from another world mutter something unintelligible.

She let the jewelery fall as if it burnt her.

"Bonnie, are you OK?" Caroline was worried because she couldn't see clearly from where she was standing.

"Yeah, I'm OK Care." Bonnie stood up and looked at Klaus.

"Does the name Bettie Thompson really mean anything to you?" she asked.

Klaus didn't understand the reason for the question. He looked at Bonnie for a couple of seconds and then answered as honestly as he could. "Yes, it does. I had forgotten about her, but the story is definitely real." He paused for a moment, a disturbing thought crossing his mind. "Though she never looked like this."

"That's because this woman had nothing to do with Bettie." Bonnie said still looking him in the eye. It was as if she was trying to read his mind.

"What?" A mix of voices raised the question, but Bonnie turned only to Stefan.

"She was possessed by Bettie's spirit. Nobody touch the pendant." She warned when she saw Elena towering over the small beautiful pendant.

"That explains why the barrier is still up." Damon said quietly, no witty retorts this time.

"Can you eliminate her?" Klaus asked with a burning anxiety.

"She is a very powerful witch, no doubt she is not drawing her power from nature. But I can only do it on the full moon. I'm sorry Care." She apologized knowing there was nothing she could do.

"Are you sure it will work?" Klaus hated sounding so insecure. It was not for him that he was worried. In the end, Elijah would get suspicious of his absence and would use any means, even witches, to find and rescue him. Caroline on the other hand didn't have that much time.

"Ask me again in 19 days." She replied and turned her back on him. "Stefan, I will need your help in this."

Stefan nodded and then turned to his friend. "Caroline, we have to go, but we will come back tomorrow to keep you company."

Caroline tried to swallow the lump that formed in her throat. _Please God, give me strength not to cry._

"It's OK Stefan, I'm not going anywhere." she attempted to smile, but it was a poor imitation of a smile.

"Care, we're going to find a way. I promise." Elena came closer to the barrier so her friend could see they cared for her.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." Caroline said with a spent voice. She was too exhausted for the drama.

"We'll see you tomorrow Caroline. Don't lose hope." Matt was trying hard not to let his tears show, but Caroline knew him well enough to note the difference in his voice.

"Try not to kill each other." Stefan said to Klaus and then smiled to the blonde vampire who was stoically standing by what was the limit to her freedom.

"Try not to kiss each other." Damon was aware of the death glare coming from both Blondie and Elena. Before he left the room, he turned around looking puzzled. "What is this horrible stench?" But everyone ignored him.

Matt and Stefan covered Maeve's body with a sheet and then removed her. The basement was suddenly empty, the only persons left two undead creatures.

* * *

Caroline tried too hard not to cry, it was difficult but she would never again let him see how vulnerable she was.

Klaus hated to see her beautiful eyes in tears, especially when he knew he caused them. He wanted to apologize, but no words would ever convince her he loved her. It was really ironic, the one time he fell in love, no one believed him.

She left the barrier and sat down on the bed. He turned around and paced through the room, finally sitting down, back to the wall, just opposite her bed. He said nothing, it was better than making her angry.

Caroline didn't know what to do now that everyone was gone. He had kissed her again without so much as asking for her permission. Who did he think he was?

He just stayed there and looked at her, his mesmerizing eyes fixed on her as if in admiration. But he said nothing. She said nothing. She knew she would lose this game. Being silent was an unknown condition to her.

"You just added another victim to your record." she said, somehow feeling better at venting her aggresion to him.

"A drop in the ocean." he added quietly, an almost imperceptible smile across his face. Probably there was hope she could forgive him. Despite her chilling words, her eyes had not completely lost that undescribable warm glow she reserved for people she cared about.

"You are incredible you know that?" she was irritated at his calm demeanour, while she was boiling.

"Yes, I have been told so." it was clear now he was enjoying it.

"You are incredibly irritating." She rephrased, angry that he found it amusing to play with words.

"Also true."

"Stop talking, will you?" if she had a spare pillow, she would have thrown it at him, but she feared that if she used the only pillow as a weapon, he would not return it to her just for the fun of it.

"Is it what you really want?" he asked now serious.

Caroline couldn't make up her mind if she found him more irresistable when he was smiling or frowning. And then she mentally slapped herself for the lapse. Unforgivable. He was off limits.

"What I really want is to be home, in my boyfriend's embrace." she said both to him and to herself. Knowing that those words hurt him more than swords and daggers gave her a false sense of power. "But for now it will do if you just go to your room."

Was she dismissing him like he was a servant boy? Klaus was short-tempered, but suddenly he realised that the level of tolerance where she was concerned, was exceeding his normal capacity.

In love or not, he had still a hint of pride left. She wanted to be alone? Fine by him.

Klaus stood up and exited the room, his stride proud and regal. He was still an Original, the top of the food chain.

He entered the smaller room and was suddenly attacked by an unbearable stench. It took him a minute to be able to breathe again without feeling sick. He had forgotten about the massive corpse in the middle of the room. The wolf's carcase was apparently decaying, the stinking air clinging to his skin, his clothes like goo.

He chose to swallow his pride, grabbed the mattress from the bed and went to Caroline's room. He knocked on the door impatiently.

Caroline was ready to lie on the bed, when the door knocked. So this was how long he could go without burdening her with his presence again?

She walked to the door and opened it just a little bit, blocking the entrance with her body. Something that didn't seem to bother him at all.

He pointed at the mattress he was carrying and without so much as a word, motioned for her to step aside.

Caroline would never give in, but the look on his eyes convinced her that he wouldn't take no for an answer. She stepped aside while he passed a few inches away from her and released the mattress at the same point he was standing earlier.

Caroline stayed by the door, disbelief contorting her angelic face. And then it reached her, a smell of rotting flesh so strong it made her want to empty her stomach. She closed the door with an urgency that made him smile.

"The wolf." he said with a grin, as if saying that this was the only thing he would share with her. She wanted silence, he would give her more than she asked for.

When the mattress he brought was in the exact place as he wanted it, he sank to it and lay down. His tall muscular body caught her eye, but of course she was not impressed.

Caroline knew better than to be seduced by a good looking devil. He was a killer, an enemy, an annoying man, the reason why Tyler, her boyfriend, was exiled. The list of things that made him detestable was huge. She started to think about all his flaws.

She turned off the light. Then, she sat down on her bed, taking her time, only to show that his presence didn't affect her at all. It annoyed her, but she just had to ignore him. She then lay down and turned to face the wall, the alternative being her facing the obnoxious hybrid.

A few seconds passed in silence. And then a few minutes. And then more minutes. Time was frozen down here, it was hell. Caroline couldn't find rest.

She was annoyed as hell with the fact that he seemed so unfazed by the situation they were in. She could play cool just as well.

_Where was I? Right, the list of flaws. He is a killer. Already said that one. He is unforgiving, ironic, using people to get his point across. He attacks innocent women and kisses them without their permission._

Her mind was becoming foggy, the thoughts scattered through her fading conscience like leaves in the wind. That last thought lingered in her mind a little longer than necessary.

She remembered the kiss with every detail. It was offending to think that he had treated her like a mindless woman, an object to direct his affections. Her lips still remembered the feeling of his on top of them, her body fitting into his arms perfectly.

And then she was wide awake, every shadow of sleep chased away by forbidden images. _I must be hallucinating from desiccation, there is no other explanation. _But she wasn't craving for blood.

"Klaus. Are you sleeping?" she hesitated a bit. No answer came from the other part of the room. "Klaus." she insisted.

"I was." he lied. How could he sleep with her so close?

"Tell me one thing and then go back to sleep." Her playful voice reminded him of a mischievous child. He said nothing so she continued. "Why did you kiss me?"

She blushed when she heard herself ask like a lovesick teenager. It was too late now, the damage was done.

Klaus couldn't hide the amusement from his voice. "Which one are you talking about love?"

"The second one." the brute was making fun of her.

"I'm getting old and forgetful. I wanted to remember the taste of your lips." he replied.

So, she was thinking about the kiss too? The mere thought of them embraced in a kiss made his blood boil. If it weren't for his thousand years of practice in self-control, she would have questions for more than two kisses.

Caroline felt her cheeks burn, he was mocking her. Yet, she could sense the underlying seductive tone. She should be careful not to play with fire. Instead of responding, not trusting herself to say anything, she tossed him her pillow.

His amused laughter filled the room and Caroline was surprised. She could only see his silhouette, but the clear sound of that laughter made her forget his atrocities. It was contagious and she had to force herself not to join him.

It was so simple, unforced and refreshing. Who could have thought he was capable of such a simple thing?

"Don't ever do that again." She demanded trying to sound serious and annoyed. Failing to do both.

"Don't ever kiss you or don't ever kiss you without permission?" He asked nonchalantly.

_Ohhhhhhhh. He is so exasperating I can't stand it. And he must think I am a stupid high school girl._

"Both. And please return my pillow." She said after hesitating a bit.

The pillow flew to her, landing on top of her head. "As you wish. Goodnight love."

It was going to be a long night.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Thank you MelodiousVengeance for pointing out Klaus's tattoo was on the left shoulder. I just wanted to check out if you all pay attention to the details ;-)**_

* * *

The night was quiet, no more fights and accusations took place between the original hybrid and the young vampire. Each was consumed by their own thoughts, till sleep claimed them.

The morning found them in a deep sleep. There were no windows in the basement, the warm sun rays never reached that forgotten, constantly cold place.

Caroline was the first to wake up. She wanted to stand up from the bed, but then thought that there was nowhere she could go to. She was a very energetic person, lying idle was not her style. Her mind raced to things she would be doing if she was back home, things to erase from her to-do list.

She cursed at her bad luck. Not only was she kept a prisoner, but she didn't even have something to help her kill time. She didn't have someone to talk to. Well, she did, but that was not an option.

Caroline felt tired, her body aching like she was hundred years old. The lack of blood was taking its toll on her organism. Fatigue was becoming an issue, but she didn't want to dwell on that ominous thought.

The right side of her body was cramped as she had slept facing the wall. She moved around in bed shifting her weight to her left side as silently as she could.

It was inevitable to look to where Klaus was still sleeping peacefully. Despite the dark room, she could make out his form. She put her hands together on the pillow and then placed her face upon them, just as she did when she was young.

In search of something to pass time, she started to study him. She was alone with her thoughts right now, what danger could a little inspection bring? It was not like she was admitting anything, just pure observation, that's all. Caroline blessed her vampire sight, for she had no need for light in order to study this fine specimen of a man.

He was sleeping on his back, his face turned to her direction. His left hand lay over his chest, his right hand had fallen from the makeshift bed and rested on the floor. His stained with dry blood shirt was opened at the collar, revealing flawless pale skin. Even though she could not see it, she felt the blood running through his veins call to her, stirring a desire in her she could not explain. Her gaze shifted to the rest of his well sculpted body and long limbs. A patch of lean muscles caught her eyes where the shirt had been ripped off to write the message to Stefan.

She swallowed at the sight. Klaus was a very attractive man. If she forgot all the rest about him, she could ... no, might feel a little bit of attraction to him. But she couldn't forget.

Feeling a sting of guilt for staring at him, her gaze then traveled back to his face. This was a face she could look at for hours. _If things were different,_ she corrected herself mentally. His well defined lips drew her attention. Unwillingly she remembered their feeling upon her own lips and to her dismay a shiver ran through her spine.

She could burst out at him in anger for being so bold, but deep down she knew she enjoyed those moments in his arms. She felt overwhelmed by that urgency in his touch, by that wave of passion that threatened to drown her. Why was that so irresistible?

Here, in the darkness of her prison, she should be honest with herself. Here, there was no one to judge her but her.

She tried to bring Tyler's face in her memory. It alarmed her to see that she was having difficulty to do that, not because she didn't remember his handsome face, but because another smile, another set of blue eyes dominated her thoughts. She turned on the bed so she could face the ceiling. She needed no distraction now.

She loved Tyler, she kept saying that to everyone everyday. And it was true, they had bonded over some very difficult moments for both of them. And he was sexy as hell. What more could a girl want?

But if that was true, why was she affected so much by Klaus's charms? Because that was something she couldn't deny anymore. Did that make her a terrible person for wanting to have both men? She felt like a lost child.

On one hand she had the certainty and security net of Tyler's love. She knew where they stood, they were there to support each other. They laughed together, they cried together. Caroline knew when she fell in love with him. But now she was questioning herself. Was it really love or desperate need to have someone to count on, to not face an eternal life alone?

On the other hand there was Klaus. Most of the time she couldn't tell what he was feeling. But when he chose to open up to her, she felt like glimpsing at the starry sky, dark and immense and yet beautiful. He had said it was the allure of the darkness. She disagreed. It was the secret hope that her love would change him, would make him a better man.

He had promised her the world and she secretly craved for that opportunity. She had thought many times of accepting his proposal and seeing the world as friends. But he had made it clear that friendship was not what he wanted. And she wasn't sure if she could keep that pretense for too long. He intrigued her, he made her question her boundaries. But was it something more than simple curiosity for the unknown?

Caroline couldn't tell with certainty that Klaus wouldn't hurt her. She was the sun, he was the moon. Pale and distant, but with a vibrant beauty that surpassed time. He gave up a faint light in the middle of the blackness surrounding him. She wanted to keep that light alive, make it shine bright and not give into the night.

_Arghhh, what a mess. Why do I always lend myself in such situations?_ _I should ask Elena for council, after all she had to choose between the Salvatores, she would know something about dilemmas._

And then, as an answer to her unspoken prayers, she had an epiphany. It was so simple that she couldn't suppress a laugh. She was always so eager to put labels on everything, but actually there was no need for that.

She didn't have to declare whom she loved and whom she liked, she should just let herself feel. Time would show her heart's true choice.

She refused stubbornly to acknowledge that Klaus had feelings for her, dismissing the thought because if she accepted that, she would have to decide about her feelings for him as well. That or the fact that she thought him incapable of true feelings.

Apart from his alluring words, his actions confirmed what he said. In his own way he had protected her many times. He was a feared (and rightfully so) original who wouldn't think twice of daggering his own family if they made him angry. Yet, not a day had passed when he let her stake him. He longed for someone who could be honest with him not out of fear or compulsion, but because they believed he deserved it.

She decided from now on not to take anything for granted. She and Tyler were in love, but lately, it had been a little hard to reach him on the phone. It must be difficult for him to adjust to a new life always looking behind his back for a crazy hybrid chasing him. But Caroline thought it odd that he would return her calls after two days or more.

_Love is a battlefield_, she decided. _If Tyler and Klaus really love me, they just have to prove it. I will not demand anything from them. And I will let myself free, no musts, no rules, no prejudices. _

The new-found peace made her feel so much better. Now she could concentrate on the matter at hand, survival until the next full moon.

* * *

Klaus couldn't tell what woke him up from his dreamless sleep. He thought it was Caroline's laugh, but he dismissed the thought immediately. Last night she was angry at him and he couldn't imagine any reason why she would be laughing when faced with such an ordeal.

Hell, he was not feeling well and he was an original. The lack of blood had made him weak, but he was sure he could make it to the full moon without any significant problems. What he was worried about was Caroline. She would never make it till then and he couldn't handle it.

For a brief moment he thought that even if she was desiccated, she could be revived by blood once they had destroyed the barrier. But this meant that she had to go through a whole lot of pain and he didn't want to witness it. It would feel like abandoning her. But what could he do? Even if he came up with a solution, she would not agree to it, just for the sake of opposing him. He was tired of that.

Klaus got up and supported his weight on his right elbow, trying to see what she was doing. He was surprised to see she was awake. She was looking at the ceiling and he would swear she was smiling at herself. Was she hallucinating again? Her features looked so serene that he thought he would kill to make that look permanent on her face.

Caroline perceived the movement from where Klaus was sleeping. She saw him look at her curiously.

"Good morning Klaus." she greeted him amused at the incomprehension in his beautiful eyes.

_What is going on? Am I dreaming or is she hallucinating?_ Klaus couldn't make up his mind which of the two alternatives he liked the most.

"Good morning Caroline." he answered, all senses wide awake waiting for her to strike. Niceties weren't her cup of tea.

"What, no love?" She teased him standing to a sitting position on the bed. Now that she was no longer bound by her fears and prejudices, she wanted to have fun as much as she could. She was immortal, life was supposed to be fun for her.

Now he was confused. Why was she playing with him when she didn't like how the game ended?

"Are you hallucinating again?" he asked cautiously.

"Why would I be hallucinating?" she asked and flashing, she turned the switch on, shedding light to all the dark corners of the room.

Klaus stood up slowly, all the while watching her attentively. Her eyes were as clear as the spring morning sky, no hints of confusion there. So she was deliberately playing with him.

"So, you want me to restore _love?_" and with that he flashed in front of her, standing so close that their shoes were touching.

The movement surprised her and she lost her balance, but he didn't reach to steady her, his arms resting relaxed at each side of his body. Instinctively she grabbed tightly at his shirt, trying not to slump at his feet.

Klaus's eyes were burning and her breath caught to her throat. She didn't expect him to do anything like that, so she was unprepared. Now she was hanging from his shirt, her grip so tight her nails dug into her palm.

He seemed unfazed by the incident, while she could barely raise her eyes from his chest. She blushed unable to control her reaction, she was so embarrassed. She thought she could play cool and detached, but she failed miserably. Now he would laugh at her.

He didn't laugh. He was just as agitated as she was, but he had thousands of years of practice at hiding his emotions. The heat from her touch penetrated the thin fabric and he felt his skin burning where her hands lay on his chest. _This game will have no winner,_ he decided.

With a smooth move he took her hands into his and slowly removed them from his shirt.

"I am going to take a shower." He declared, still holding her hands. He then realized the contact lasted longer than it was necessary and reluctantly let her go.

Caroline was breathless. She saw him walk to the bathroom, all composed and cool. Quite the opposite of her.

What was she thinking? It was one thing to open herself to new possibilities and another to play with fire. She was so annoyed at herself that she was hyperventilating.

_Caroline Forbes, get a grip on yourself and act like a grown up._

Klaus undressed quickly and laid his clothes over a small cupboard near the sink. He was on edge and this was neither a good thing nor safe for anyone around him. He needed to cool down and control himself.

He turned the water on and waited for the cold stream to bring him to his senses. He was pleasantly surprised to find out there was hot water. He placed his hands on the wall and leaned against it, letting his arms support his weight. The water fell on his back and over his head and he closed his eyes. He let the feeling of purification settle in, trying to relax.

Caroline could hear the sound of running water and her mind was filled with images of him standing naked in the shower. Rivulets of water running down his muscled chest, over his shoulders, over his flat stomach. Her hands itched with the desire to trace those paths, over the dark tattoo on his left shoulder. She ...

She was shocked at how that image made her blood run faster in her veins. It was unheard of, her behaving like a lovesick girl over the original hybrid of all people. If she was blushed before, she was now on fire.

She stood up abruptly and turned her back on the door that led to the bathroom, willing her mind to follow. She didn't need the complications right now.

It felt like ages of sweet torture, till the water stopped running. Minutes later he entered the room looking calm and relaxed, his blonde hair still wet from the shower. Drops of water had fallen over his shirt making it stick to his skin.

"Is there any hot water left?" she asked randomly. At his nod, she flashed to the bathroom without wasting time.

Caroline was grateful for the opportunity to shower. She felt dirty and tainted, but the hot water ran over her body cleansing her. She found a bottle of shampoo, not caring if she would normally use it or not. It was like going back to civilization and it made her feel better.

For a minute she feared he might be bold enough to join her in the shower, but she immediately dismissed the thought. Klaus was a psycho killer, but he was a gentleman, he would never do such a thing.

_Yeah right, because he didn't kiss you without asking first. _Then she laughed at the thought._ Right, because normally people ask "Miss, may I kiss you till you forget your own name?"_

The shower relaxed her and lifted her mood. She was now ready to face just another day in hell.

When she got back to the room, she was surprised to find Bonnie and the Salvatore brothers talking in a low voice with Klaus. What the hell? Why hadn't he called to her?

"Bonnie. Stefan. When did you guys arrived?" Her face lit up at the familiar faces across the barrier.

"What? Am I invisible now?" Damon said raising one eyebrow at Caroline.

"No, you're just a jerk." Caroline retorted, unable to hide a smile.

"So, I guess you enjoyed your morning shower with" He was about to tease her, but a backhand hit to the stomach from Stefan made him stop mid-sentence.

Bonnie was not laughing, her face serious while studying Klaus. Caroline knew that look and she was suddenly concerned.

"Bonnie, what is it?"

"We need to talk." the witch said motioning for everyone to keep quiet.


	19. Chapter 19

And quiet they stayed. Bonnie was not one to exaggerate so if she was serious, they should listen to her.

"Elena says hi. She and Matt couldn't come because they had to make the arrangements for the founders' ball." she explained even though she knew the others were not interested in this detail.

Caroline nodded, anxious to get to the point where she was concerned.

"I checked my grimoire to find anything useful about Bettie's pendant." She paused a bit visibly preoccupied.

"And?" Klaus was not a patient man. He usually managed to keep his cool demeanor, but he was getting tired of these games. Something told him he would not like what the witch was about to say if he judged by the way she was observing him earlier.

"I thought Shane was the only one to practice expression, but I just found that Bettie was using it too." She was sure now she had everyone's undivided attention. They stood in a circle and all eyes were on her.

"Her desire for revenge was so great that she did not care if she wasn't around to see it done. Therefore, before she died, she performed a ritual the name of which I can't even pronounce. Her spirit was stored in that pendant and continued to harbor hate for the one responsible for her great loss." She looked at Klaus who didn't even bat an eye upon hearing those words. "The pendant is enchanted, whoever comes in contact with it will make it their life's mission to deliver retribution."

"How come no one so far has attacked Klaus on behalf of Bettie?" Caroline asked out of curiosity.

"How can we be sure that no one has? Apparently they weren't successful, up until now." Bonnie guessed. "I believe the power of the pendant grows since it absorbs the souls of those poor people that came in contact with it. It poisons their minds and leads them to paths they might never choose, their only goal to kill Klaus."

"Then Maeve was particularly unlucky." Damon observed.

"Yes, she was. Now, let's get to the part where you tell us how we can destroy it." Klaus encouraged Bonnie to continue.

"If we can destroy it." Stefan said, making Caroline look at him in wonder. She thought Bonnie had a solution, that's why they had come here. What did Stefan mean by that?

"If?" Caroline's voice raised an octave.

"Don't worry Care, we will destroy it. It's just a little complicated." Bonnie said.

"Of course it is, it's us, remember? When have our lives been easy?" Caroline sighed.

"What do you need me to do?" Klaus asked Bonnie, his piercing gaze making the witch flinch a little.

"The spell says:"

_The hated heart in my hand_

_My soul's prison in the other_

_Let my vengeance go as planned_

_and then no longer bother_

Everyone stood still, engrossed by the power of the magic words.

"Hated heart? Oh my God ..." Caroline gasped in terror when the meaning of the words fully hit her.

Klaus said nothing, he just looked Bonnie in the eye with an indecipherable expression on his face. All eyes turned on him now. But he said nothing.

"Bonnie, explain it please." Stefan urged the witch.

"It means that in order to do the counterspell and release the barrier I need two things, the hated heart and the witch's soul's prison. That would mean ... Klaus's heart and the pendant Maeve had. I already have one." She concluded looking at Caroline. She couldn't handle Klaus's gaze for long, so she decided to ignore him at this moment.

"But ... it will kill him." Caroline said unable to believe that this was the solution they had come up with. What was the point in that?

"Not exactly. He is an original, he will just ... I don't know the term ... pass out? Eventually he will come back to life later and it will buy me enough time to do the spell."

"But even if he offers his heart, which is insane, you can't have it, the barrier doesn't let anything go through it." Caroline was outraged, her voice unforgiving. If they hadn't thought this through, why did they bother to come here and confuse them?

"Care, I'm not enjoying this either." Bonnie said offended at Caroline's outburst.

"I know Bonnie ... it's just that ..." Caroline was sorry that she vented out at her best friend.

"I will link myself with you Care. So if you have the heart and I have the pendant, we can work it out."

"Blondie, you have become really popular, everyone wants to link with you." Damon was once again teasing Caroline to lighten the mood.

"Damon, if it wasn't for this barrier, I would gladly link my hand with your heart." She said angry that Damon failed to see how tragic all this was. It bothered her that they were talking about Klaus's heart as if it was an insignificant accessory.

"You have noticed that the heart is still in Klaus's chest, right?" Stefan intervened, trying to make them see that Klaus had yet to agree.

Caroline now noticed that he hadn't said a word since this crazy talk about hearts and pendants started. She turned to look at him, his emotions locked well in that same heart they were debating of using in the spell.

"Klaus" she said in a small voice.

Klaus turned to look at her. What did she expect him to do? Hand over his heart and a box of chocolates?

"Yes Caroline?" He asked her determined not to facilitate her. If she was about to demand such a sacrifice from him, she should at least be polite enough to ask. Batting her eyes innocently wasn't enough.

"What do you think of this?" she asked.

"I think it's crap. No offence." He turned to Bonnie.

"None taken, it's not my spell." she replied.

"I would like to keep my heart where mother nature or Esther put it. What's your alternative?" He asked Bonnie.

The look on her face spoke volumes. "I don't have an alternative yet. I am trying to figure it out. If you don't agree, we can attempt a counterspell on the full moon, but I can't guarantee it will work."

"Can you guarantee then that this one will work?" Klaus never let Bonnie out of his sight. The witch was demanding too much. He wanted to be sure there was no other motive behind her request.

"Not a 100%, but I'm pretty sure it will." She said. "Waiting till the full moon is nothing to you. And if I fail, there is no knowing when and if the barrier will be destroyed. You are an original, she's not."

Bonnie had said the one thing he feared most. He could handle living without blood for a long time, but they all knew Caroline could not.

"Let's assume I will give you my bloody heart. What says you won't turn your back on me and cast a desiccation spell on me? If I recall correctly, it's not something you haven't tried in the past."

"I give you my word that we won't harm you." Bonnie said solemnly.

Klaus thought about it a moment. "Have you ever proved to me that your word is trustworthy?"

Bonnie was thinking of a smart retort, but she couldn't really find one. Despite her dislike for the hybrid, from his point of view they were asking too much and giving nothing worthy back.

"I will guarantee for that with my life." Caroline intervened.

Klaus turned to her in admiration. She was so courageous, his heart swelled with pride.

"The only person in the world whose word I trust is my brother, Elijah. You should feel honored to be in the same league with him." At that moment, Bonnie understood how much trust Klaus was showing to her. And it was all because of Caroline.

"Thank you Klaus." Bonnie felt the need to say.

"When should I part with my heart?" Klaus never liked being overdramatic, but damn it, he had the right to. It was not everyday that he got such an unusual request.

Bonnie extended her hand and opened her fist. They all came closer to look at the small pendant vibrating in her hand.

"Aren't you afraid it will possess you?" Caroline asked a little afraid.

"I am wearing a protective amulet, like the one I made for Damon." the witch said, showing the small pendant hanging from her neck.

"We're doing it now?" Damon exclaimed making everyone turn their head in his direction.

"Why. do you have anything more interesting to do?" Klaus asked him irritated.

"A dozen come to my mind. But then I wouldn't miss the spectacle of your heart being ripped off for the world."

"You would do well to remember what's at stake here, mate." Klaus said alluding to Caroline's promise.

All this time Caroline was standing frozen in her place. She couldn't believe they were serious about this. She couldn't believe he had accepted to give up his heart. Was he so desperate to get free? Were they expecting from her to do such a cruel thing?

Klaus turned to face Caroline. She was slightly trembling and avoided looking him in the eye. When he was close enough to her, he took her right hand and placed it over his racing heart.

"You should aim here." he said sliding her hand through her chest just a little below his heart. And then he let go of her hand, waiting for the striking blow to come.

Stefan, Damon and Bonnie had come closer to the barrier to see what was happening.

Caroline's eyes were clouded by the first tears. She felt so sad, even though she knew he wouldn't die. Still the symbolic of it all was too much. Her hand still lingered over his chest, the warmth from the contact making every nerve ending in her body resonate.

"Whenever you're ready." Stefan said sympathetically.

Caroline drew a quick breath and retrieved her hand. She changed her stance so that she could aid the process by throwing her body weight into the act. Her left hand rested on his right shoulder in order to keep her stable.

She knew he was watching her with fervent eyes. There were so many things she wanted to tell to him, but she couldn't with the audience a few feet away. She decided to get it over with as quick as she could. There was no point in prolonging the suffering.

She prepared to strike, her hand ready to get hold of his heart. He was literally putting his heart in her hands.

"Stop! Stop! STOOP!" Bonnie shouted at Caroline.

Caroline was first shocked at the interruption, but she willingly put her hand down, way too glad that they didn't have to proceed with the spell.

"What? You didn't link with me?" she asked confused.

"No Care, there is no such counterspell." Bonnie admitted absolutely sure she was about to face the wrath of the hybrid and her best friend's.

"What?" Caroline's knee went weak and they couldn't support her weight. She slumped to the ground, sobbing.

Klaus was awestruck. Then rage exploded from every pore of his body.

"Care to elaborate, sweetheart?" That was the coldest sweetheart ever muttered. If looks could kill, Bonnie would be meeting her grams.

"I'm sorry for the poor show. It was a test."

"Did I pass?" Klaus asked, his head tilted to the right. The murderous shine in his eyes made the people on the other side of the barrier flinch. They had never seen him like this. It was exactly as they depicted him, ruthless and merciless.

"With honors." Damon said.

"What was that?" Caroline managed to articulate with difficulty.

"I've been trying so hard to protect you Care and break the spell. But I am not strong enough. I can't have my force divided like that. I needed to know if Klaus is willing to put your life before his. And I am glad that he did." Bonnie explained in a sad voice.

"Bon Bon, that was too cruel. Thank you for giving me nightmares." Caroline finally let her tears drop freely.

Klaus flashed in front of Bonnie, the image of Godlike retribution ready to be delivered.

"Was any of it real?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"All except from the spell." she admitted.

"I will return the favor witch." His voice was deep and misleadingly calm, his eyes turned a blue so dark they almost seemed black.

"I would do it again. I need you to protect her at all costs. Only then can I concentrate fully on my other task."

Klaus looked at the determination in Bonnie's eyes. He would not forget this insult, but he appreciated that she was such a great friend to even defy him, the original hybrid.

Then Klaus turned to Stefan. It was a nice setup, he had to admit it.

"You should get the award for best supporting actor." He said to his former friend. It hurt a little to see that Stefan would not consider what all this funny act would do to him.

Stefan knew what he was thinking. "Don't assume even for a moment that we are still friends."

Hearing him say that made it harder to accept. "That is a mistake I will never do again." Klaus admitted and turned his back on them. He went and sat on his mattress, closed his eyes and rested his head back on the wall.

Caroline was still standing on her knees in front of the barrier even when her friends left. With titaneous effort she managed to get to her bed and lay down.

"I'm so sorry Klaus." she said between sobs.

"Don't worry love. It's to be expected from enemies."


	20. Chapter 20

_Enemies? To have Klaus as an opponent was dangerous, but to have him as an enemy? _

Caroline was restless. The recent developments had her on edge. She felt she owned Klaus an apology.

"You consider us your enemies?" She asked trying to sound calm and rational.

"I don't consider them my friends, and they are way past the point of being petty adversaries." He replied just as calmly.

Caroline noticed he said _they._ So he didn't count her as an enemy. On one hand it warmed her heart to know that he still cared for her, on the other hand she felt like a traitor. Her friends were in mortal danger now, while she was safe under the protection of his feelings for her. It didn't feel right.

"You have to understand Bonnie. She only cares for me." She paused a little to see if he was paying attention to her. Which he was. "But I guess her little stunt was too harsh on us."

"On us?" He raised an eyebrow. "I don't see how it was harsh on you."

How could she explain it to him without sounding pathetic? He was right, he was the one to offer his heart. She would only be an executioner. Nothing a vampire couldn't handle. To his eyes she would probably enjoy it considering she blamed him for her boyfriend leaving her. She and her friends had conspired over and over again to get Klaus out of the picture.

So, really, why was it so harsh on her? She convinced herself she couldn't stand the sight of blood. But it was stupid, she was a vampire. Then she thought she wasn't a killer, she could never rip off one's heart in cold blood, even if it was the infamous original hybrid. But she was a killer.

She searched her heart and realized that she no longer saw him as a hated evil creature. Of course she could not forget his past deeds, but she had seen his humanity, had caught him showing compassion even if it was just to impress her. She wanted to believe he was not past the point of redemption.

She didn't stop to think why did it matter to her if he could be saved. But he had said she was at the beginning of the road, he was at the end. Did it mean that if she made it to a millenium of existence, she would be consumed by darkness as well? No, she didn't believe it.

She was strong enough to stay in the light, but only because she had glimpsed at the dark side and rejected it. All he had seen was the dark, was he ever offered an opportunity to change? Or to put it better, was he given a motivation to make the change?

Caroline knew this was not good. Feeling pity for the poor original who hadn't been given a chance to be good was stupid. It made her feel like Don Quixote trying to fight the wind mills. Klaus was not stupid. He would never accept that she was on a mission to save him just because she was a do-gooder.

So she lied, it was easier this way for both of them. "It would ruin my favorite dress." she replied with an unsteady voice. He could think what he wanted as long as she didn't admit anything.

Klaus studied her carefully. It took her a lot of time to come up with this lame excuse, but he didn't push.

"Then you must be glad your dress is safe."

"I am. And you could have avoided it if you wanted." She said stubbornly.

"How is that? I didn't know your genius friend was testing me."

"If you said that you loved me and would not hurt me, she wouldn't have to resort to such tricks." She almost said _cheap tricks_, but it would be an insult to Bonnie.

An ironic smile set upon his lips. "You don't believe that, why should she?"

He had a point there, her argument was not as flawless as it had seemed in the screen of her mind. But she couldn't admit defeat, not that easily.

"Don't fret love, I learned my lesson. I won't be made a fool again." he said.

Caroline couldn't understand what his intentions were. She just wished there was still time to make him change his mind and not avenge Bonnie for that trick.

"She did what she did because she is my best friend. I would do the same if it meant to keep my friend safe." It sounded like she was begging for forgiveness on Bonnie's behalf, but she didn't care.

"You are lucky then to have such friends." Klaus didn't want to punish Caroline for what her friends did. Not yet anyway.

The way he said it made her fantasy work overtime. There was a hint of sadness in his voice or was it just wishful thinking?

"What about you? Do you have or have you ever had such friends?"

It was just small talk, after all they had over two weeks to endure this madness. She might just as well learn a thing or two about Klaus.

_Know your friends well, know your enemies better. _Klaus was always suspicious when people tried to get too friendly with him. He was used at being alone, everyone else was either an enemy or insignificant. For some reason, he wanted to believe Caroline wanted to know without any ulterior motive. Even the opposite however didn't scare him. It might be nice to be able to just talk to someone and face the consequences when the time came.

She was resigned to the fact he would never answer when she heard him answer. She placed her left elbow on her pillow and rested her head on her hand. She adjusted his jacket so that the cloth provided a warm shield over her body and prepared to listen to his story with sudden anticipation.

"Back when I was human I used to have a lot of friends. Life was so simple then. After my ... after Esther turned us into what we are today, those friends were afraid of me. And rightfully so."

Klaus was now leaning on the wall, facing Caroline as he travelled back in time. His voice was low, the words coming out easier by the minute.

"I killed one of my friends when the blood lust hit me fully. No one told me I couldn't do that. And I was too weak to resist the urge. After that it was expected to be alone. All I had, was my siblings." He swallowed an annoying lump at his throat. There was no need to tell her about the endless cold nights praying to be free from this curse.

"I remember feeling lonely, so much so that I gradually started to fight any human feelings. They only made me weak."

"You switched your humanity off?" she asked just to encourage him to go on. She was afraid of the revelations, yet she couldn't tame her curiosity.

"Actually there is no switch Caroline. You just convince yourself you don't feel anything anymore, but the point is you never get rid of emotions. You just choose to ignore them. And I chose to not feel guilt or sorrow anymore." He could see she was still trying to process the switch part.

"From that point I no longer needed friends. I compelled others to do my biding, I had minions doing the dirty jobs. I was always surrounded by a small army of acolytes."

"But you were alone." she concluded. It didn't take a genius to come to that conclusion.

"I had company, I was never alone." But he was lonely.

Caroline felt a sting of jealousy at the idea of countless beauties enjoying his company. Compelled or willing, hordes of impressive women would look at him with lust in their eyes, would melt in his embrace and then leave his room or this life with his angelic face as their last memory.

A strange agitation came over her and she tried to calm herself. It was none of her business what he did and how he spent his time. She was afraid she blushed and he would guess at her sinful thoughts. But a look at him convinced her he was now seeing other things with his mind's eyes.

It was as if he didn't know where he was anymore, but he kept talking.

"Many centuries passed until I met this guy. It was around 1560, in a small village in the south of France. I had a terrible fight with my siblings and I was on a killing spree by myself. I had killed most of the customers in the tavern and had compelled the tavern owner to serve me drinks. The man was heavily bleeding but he kept bringing me his best wine." At that moment Klaus didn't care about the disapproving look on her face.

"Suddenly the door opened and a man whose age I couldn't guess entered. I was trying to decide if I should just rip his heart off or drink him dry. But I was bored, so I didn't make a move immediately and didn't spare him a second glance. The man passed over the fallen bodies and muttered something under his breath. Then, he stopped the tavern owner who was bringing my next bottle of wine. He raised his hand and still chanting, cured the man."

Caroline gasped. This story was making her heart race, she sensed there was so much more to it, but she didn't dare to interrupt.

"I looked puzzled at the man who not five minutes ago was bleeding to death. Now he just seemed confused to see all the blood on his clothes. The newcomer took a chair and sat at my table, bringing an empty glass with him. The tavern owner served us both without a word and then just went away. This man had my full attention now.

He must have been a few years older than when I died. He was neither ugly, nor handsome. His was one of those faces you can never remember, no matter how hard you tried. But his eyes were a totally different thing. Green eyes burning with a fire the like of which I had never seen in my entire existence. Those eyes you couldn't forget. He took a sip from his glass, all the while looking straight into my eyes. He wasn't scared of me, he must have been mad I thought."

_"I am Adam" the newcomer said raising his glass as a salute._

_"Even if I introduced myself you will not live long enough to remember my name." Klaus retorted annoyed at the other man's indifference. _

_"One day you will kill me Niklaus, but not today."_

_"So you know my name. Then you must be mad to come here."_

_"I might. But you and I my friend are bound together by destiny."_

Caroline was intrigued. No, she was dying to get to the end of the story, but Klaus was determined to take his sweet time.

"You can guess at my surprise when my victims started to rise from the floor and go about their business as if nothing had happened. Adam laughed and then revealed that he was a warlock. A mighty one at that I must say."

"What was his deal?" Caroline had endured silence for too long. Thankfully he took it as an encouragement to go on.

"The first thing he said to me was: _I have no living family, no one you can threaten to get to me. _Then he raised a barrier around himself and I couldn't even touch a strand of his hair. This was the beginning of our journey together. He was a healer and used his magic to revive my victims. At first it was fun, he would erase my sins and I would go on without even blinking. Not that I had a problem with killing before, it's just that I was always careful not to leave a trail pointing at me. Remember that even though I was indestructible, Mikael was always a step behind, chasing me like a hound.

We had spent many a night drinking at some dark place, each surrendered to his own demons. Then with time it became easier to talk to each other. I even remember laughing and I felt almost human again. I was the fiercest animal around before I met him, now I was more on the civilized part of my heritage.

To my surprise, Adam was a very good writer. His stories were dark and attractive, so were my paintings. Dark, I'm not so sure about the attractive part. I remember we used to play a little game whenever we went to someplace of remarkable beauty. He would bind my eyes and then would sit down and write fervently. Then, he would read to me his story and how he perceived the view before his eyes. I would draw what he described and then we would see if what he described, what I drew were any close to the reality.

Adam was a strange man. Never did he judge me, never did he call me a monster, though we both knew I was. Once in a while he got carried away at protecting my victims. He was powerful enough to hurt me and would only resort to that display of power if he thought I was being unreasonably evil. I never understood his motives."

Caroline was mesmerized by the way he talked about his past. Undoubtedly the mysterious man had left his mark on the immortal's heart. She wanted to know why such a powerful warlock hadn't tried to eliminate Klaus, it was obvious he didn't agree with Klaus's killing habits. Why had he chosen to heal the victims instead?

"Why didn't he stop you but let you kill and then revive the victims? It doesn't make sense." she said in a low voice.

"He could hurt me, but he couldn't stop me. Once I asked him why he did what he did and he said that he had his own reasons, but he never told me more. Eventually he managed to get under my skin. I only killed if it was absolutely necessary and I never drank my victims dry. He would heal them and I would compel them to forget. This way everyone was happy.

We travelled the world and he wrote many stories. He was always eager to write as if he was afraid he would not make it to the next morning. It was crazy, cause he was the best healer I had ever known. Until one morning his fears became real."

He gasped at the sharp pain the memory brought.

"What happened?"

"His power had reached its limits. He then revealed that every time he healed someone, he paid with his own life force. He was now at the end of the road. I offered to heal him with my blood or even to turn him to a vampire. But he refused telling me that he had his own sins to atone for. He died that morning, as quietly as he had come into my life. The only friend I ever had."

Caroline was trying to fight away the tears forming in her eyes. His words brought sadness to her heart, the pain in his voice hinting that he never healed from this loss.

"I am sorry for your loss." she said, the words too worn and cliche to express her sorrow and to heal his. "Thank you for sharing that with me. What happened next?"

"What happened next was that I was devastated by his loss, it was worse than losing a brother. If I deserved the term monster before, there was no adequate word to describe me after Adam's death. I stopped killing randomly, but now I would toy with people's fate as it suited my plans. Even Adam couldn't heal the pain I inflicted now. I was angry at him for keeping this from me and wasting his life to cover my mistakes."

He didn't sound proud of it. She was afraid to ask what he did.

"Didn't you ever have another friend after that?" she tried to make him keep talking and not dwell on the pain of the past.

"I did. In the 1920s."

She didn't know what surprised her the most, the fact that it took him so long to trust another living being or the fact that he ever tried. "What happened? Who was it?"

"You can ask Stefan about it." he said, his voice now in control and cold. Caroline felt it was the end of his confession.


	21. Chapter 21

Caroline was still thinking about Klaus's revelations. She was a good listener, but she didn't know how to respond to that. She said she was sorry for his loss, but that sounded too bleak even to her ears. She could just remain silent, but she was afraid he would think she didn't care.

Did she care? It was a strange story, but it was clear that Klaus still felt the remnants of pain and anger. It was also strange that someone would try to redeem by righting the wrongs a monster did.

And then he said that Stefan was the friend that he allowed himself to get close too after all that time. Caroline remembered how Stefan had made it clear there was no friendship between them anymore. Now she could understand the look of hurt on Klaus's face at that moment.

He was a proud man, never showing that he needed a friend. But even if he was indestructible, he was lonely. She had told him herself that he wanted the hybrids not just as his slaves, but as companions. He hadn't denied it.

Once again that awkward silence came between them. Caroline thought she had him figured out, but then he would say or do something to change her opinion of him. So, she decided to swim on more familiar waters. Their relationship needed a balance, so it was her time to give.

Klaus looked more relaxed now, a little sad, but calm and kind of relieved to have shared such a big secret.

"You already know my friends, but I'm going to tell you anyway as long as you promise not to use this information to hurt them." She said with a _take-the-offer-of-peace-I'm-extending_ look on her face.

He took the hint and placed his right hand over his heart. "I promise to hurt your friends based only on information I had before your confession."

Her heart skipped a beat, until she noticed the smirk on his face. If he was teasing her, than he was back to his usual self. Thank God, because she knew how to deal with that.

"You sound like Damon." She sighed. _Guys_ ... "Do you want me to continue or not?"_  
_

Klaus tilted his head a bit, trying to understand her tactic. Why was she telling him about her friends? He already knew what he needed to know about those petty adversaries. Did she feel obliged because of what he told her?

And really, why did he tell her about Adam? The only person that knew about that was Elijah. What made him open up to this rebellious young woman who probably wanted nothing to do with him? Why was it so important that she knew there were times when he hurt and bled just like any human?

Now she wanted to talk about her friends. He didn't care about that, but he could see she was trying to be polite to him. He had shared something important, she might do the same. The longer he thought about it, the more he wanted to hear her sweet voice. It may be one of the few times she told him something that was not part of a plan to manipulate and seduce him.

He nodded for her to continue, his attention fully focused on the lovely blonde.

"My best friends are Bonnie and Elena. We grew up together and have never been separated for too long. We support each other in every way we can. When I started a diet, they would start it too to support me. We went to every class together, the Three Musketeers they called us."

She was unknowingly smiling, the memories of happy times calming her heart. He loved to see her glow like that, an angel to behold in this dark place.

"I can't say which one I prefer though. Our little team has a strange dynamic."

"If I threatened to kill one of them, which one would you save?" He didn't mean to shock her, but he wanted to know if she could be honest with herself. Somehow he knew that she had thought about it before.

"I would kill you." she replied furious at how insensitive he was. She was opening her heart to him and he was still thinking like the monster he was.

"I believe you would try. But still you would have to choose." Klaus knew he was playing with fire, but he didn't back up. What did he have to lose? It's not like she was a fan of him right now.

Caroline wanted to stake him at that moment. How could he think of such a thing? But deep down she knew he was right. When he first arrived in Mystic Falls, she was constantly afraid that she would have to make such a choice.

Caroline dreaded that moment. How could she choose? Whatever the choice, she would regret it later. The guilt would be too much for choosing one over the other.

"I don't know. I can't play God." she replied in a small voice.

"I am the Devil. You have no responsibilities over my actions. If you don't do something you lose both friends. I give you a choice to save one." He was trying to make it easier for her to sort out her feelings.

"You are the Devil. Why are we having this conversation anyway?" she didn't want to answer. She was afraid of her answer.

"Because you are not being honest with yourself. And it doesn't make you a monster, people make choices all the time." he replied calmly.

She knew he was right. She ... "I would save Bonnie." She said it so quickly that for a moment he thought he imagined the answer.

"Why?"

Caroline was about to cry, feeling as if she had indeed made a life and death choice between her friends.

"Because Bonnie is always sacrificing herself for us. We have a problem, we all run to her to do her magic. She never says No, even when it is killing her. Elena would do the same, I'm sure. It's just that I feel Bonnie is always alone, always suffering in silence while pretending to be the strong one. Elena has lost too much already, but she is strong and everyone is there for her. Stefan and Damon would kill without blinking to see her safe. Somehow I feel like they wouldn't run to save Bonnie with the same devotion if it was not for her powers. I may be wrong but that's how I feel."

There, she said it. She wasn't holding a grudge against Elena, but she felt like she was the only one that would take Bonnie's side if it ever came to such a choice.

"You are not wrong." He reassured her. "I knew you would choose Bonnie."

"How did you know? Was it that obvious?" she was surprised at his declaration. If he guessed it, could the others guess it as well? Suddenly she felt anxious and guilty. She would give her life to save Elena as well, but Klaus had made it clear that she had to save only one.

"You killed twelve witches to save Bonnie. All the others were ready to sacrifice her because of the greater good."

"Thanks for making me feel great. I know I am a killer, don't need to mention it."

"All I am trying to say is that Bonnie should be grateful to have you as a friend."

Caroline was still feeling restless. She could see that he was trying to make her feel good about her choice. Or was he trying to divide and conquer?

"This was a hypothetical situation. If you ever try to make me choose, you'll regret ever meeting me." she said as stoically as she could.

"I'll never regret meeting you." His eyes confirmed his words and she felt her heart soften at the original in front of her. "So, you were saying about your friends."

"You ruined it. What can I say now that I saved one of them and condemned the other?"

"Come on love, now you know how you feel. I'm just helping you to see better into the depth of your soul." He was not mocking her.

"You just gave me nightmares." she said and crossed her hands in front of her chest as if trying to protect herself.

"Don't fret love. You can always blame me." The smile on his face irritated her.

"But it is your fault, I'm not blaming you unfairly." _His nerve, pfff ... He was trying to pass for a savior now._

"What else do you fear?" he changed the subject.

"Spiders." She was too quick to answer, but it was true. "Now that I am a vampire, I don't have to be afraid of dying of a spider bite. I can flash away so no spider can ever get near me."

"That is if you can sense a spider near you. But what if ..." he stopped mid-sentence and raised his eyebrows.

Caroline saw his gaze shift from her face to somewhere above her head. She knew he was probably messing with her, but an irrational fear overtook her. Her palms began to sweat and no matter how brave she tried to look, she was white as a ghost.

He counted to two when she flashed away from the bed to the far corner of the room. She eyed the wall where she was standing mere seconds ago with dread. She searched for the offending spider, but didn't see one. She was mad at herself for falling for such a cheap trick. He would pay for it.

Klaus was trying desperately to remain serious and composed, but it was too hard. She was standing in a fighting position, but from a secure distance. And she was ready to kill him.

"Very low of you Niklaus Mikaelson." she said with a dangerously calm voice. "Someday you will pay for this." And she sat again at her previous spot, trying to look as unaffected of his little joke as she could.

"Oh, you addressed me with my family name. I guess I have to apologize." But she could see he was not sorry.

"I'm not saying anything else to you." she declared stubbornly.

"Oh come on, it is fun. We have nothing but time here." he insisted with an irresistible smile on his face.

She was doomed. He had had eons to practice that smile, she was too weak. "I'm afraid of not being good enough." She had never said this to anyone.

"Good enough for whom?" It was a giant leap from spiders to this heartfelt admission on her part.

"For the people I love." she said. "I wasn't good enough to keep my father from leaving us. I tried my best, but it wasn't enough."

"Is it why you applied for Miss Mystic Falls?"

"Yes. I wanted to be the perfect daughter so that he was proud of me. I am at the top of my class, I am cheer leading captain and have organized so many successful events. But none of this matters, he still tried to change me. He couldn't accept me for who I am." Klaus felt she wasn't talking to him, she seemed a little lost.

He knew about how her father had tortured her trying to fix her. It so reminded him of his own abusive father.

"You don't have to prove to anyone that you are perfect." he was looking into her eyes so intently she felt as if she was being compelled. But she knew he wouldn't do it.

"I know, but ..."

"No but. Your father probably wasn't good enough to stay by your side. It probably had nothing to do with you, he just needed to live his own life to the fullest." Klaus could have said much more, but there was no need to.

"I cannot forget his face when he learned I was a vampire." she said with a sad smile. "I never hated myself as much as in that moment."

"Your father tried to fix you because he loved you. Mine tried to kill me because he hated me." He thought about it for a moment and then added. "Actually I never knew my father. The one I was constantly trying to please was nothing close to a father. But then, nor did my mother love me." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Talk about dysfunctional families."

"So you're saying you became a monster because of lack of love?" she asked. "No offence."

"None taken. I don't know why I became a monster. I always thought it was because I had nothing to look up to. It was easier to grasp the power without the responsibilities."

"Would you change it if you could?" She asked breathless. For some reason, his answer was important.

"No, I wouldn't." he sounded so sure that her heart sank. "Because then I wouldn't have met you."


	22. Chapter 22

_**This time I want to thank my silent supporters, those who follow and favorite :-)**_

_**Enjoy!**_

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Caroline contemplated his last phrase. Klaus preferred to be evil if it meant to have her in his life. She asked herself what would she do in his place, but it was too difficult to find a correct answer.

"Would you change it if you could?" His question caught her by surprise.

"Would I change what?" Caroline wasn't sure if she understood what he was referring to and secretly hoped he wasn't asking what she thought he was.

"Would you prefer it if I was a saint but you never met me?" Klaus knew he was playing with fire, the answer may not be what he wanted to hear. But he wanted her to be honest. He couldn't live with the uncertainty of her feelings.

Caroline sighed. Now she had to answer. He wouldn't force her to, but these were the unwritten rules of their new game. They were adults, they were supposed to be able to handle the truth. But which was the truth?

Klaus didn't know if her hesitation to answer immediately was a good thing or not. He couldn't read her thoughts and frankly he didn't want to. He wanted to hear her say how she felt.

An eternity passed till she was finally ready to answer. "I would prefer it if you were a saint and I met you." It was the closest choice to an almost sincere confession.

Klaus sighed. "That's not what I asked."

"I know, but I can't decide. Or you could be evil and I didn't get to meet you. I don't know. What's the point in this?" She was confused.

"But I am evil. So the conclusion is you wish you never met me." Why did it hurt so much? Klaus knew she wasn't ready to accept him, but a little flame of hope still burnt in his heart. Now it felt like a cold wind blew through his heart and extinguished that hope.

Caroline didn't expect the conversation to go that way. She didn't mean it exactly like he stated it, but now that she thought of her declaration it made sense. She had more than once called him evil. And he was, right? But then did she really wish to have never met him?

"I didn't mean it like that." The words felt sloppy in her mouth, her denial seemed half-hearted and he noticed it.

"You don't have to apologize if you feel that way. One of the things I admire in you is your honesty."

Klaus stood up and approached the barrier, turning his back on her. He didn't want to look at her beautiful eyes and see there despise and regret.

Caroline's heart skipped a beat. His voice sounded distant and detached, not hostile, just cold. It was as if he was resigned and tired of fighting for her heart. Or was he hurt?

She never stopped to consider what would her life be if she had never met Klaus. She closed her eyes for a moment trying to picture her life as a movie and removing the offending frames from it.

Surely there would be less pain. Carol would still be alive, Jenna as well. Tyler would still be by her side and they would be happy. Somehow it felt like the life she would be leading if she continued to be a small-town girl living a small-town life.

She could say she preferred it to this pain and constant fear of being caught in the cross fire of a never-ending power battle. But even without Klaus in her life, she would still be a vampire. If she wanted to be fair, Stefan and Damon should also be removed from the picture. She loved them but they had done their share of evil in their time.

Her life was peaceful when she was just a neurotic high school student. Her biggest problem then was what to wear at the next party. No vampires, no witches. no supernatural drama. But then, her relationship with her mother would be non-existent. It was due to the hardships of her vampire life and the fact that they finally faced their true feelings that created that precious bond with her mother.

So now, in her mind's picture, after removing the evil factor, they were all human. She remembered having a crush on Matt. Would it have worked out if she was human? Or would he still be hiding his lingering feelings for Elena? That meant that she would never be with Tyler in the first place. It was the common torture of transitioning to an eternal life that made them connect.

_Oh, this is a nightmare. All the what ifs are driving me crazy._ Caroline thought. There was no point in thinking what would her life be if a thousand little moments had been different. All the choices she made shaped the character of the woman she was. It was not who she met, but how she reacted to the people in her life. She wanted to tell Klaus this.

She opened her eyes and saw he was still standing near the barrier. When she stood up from the bed, he turned around to see what she was doing. He was a proud man. Nothing in his stance showed he was discouraged from her previous declaration, nor did his eyes give away what he was thinking. The fleeting hurt she thought she saw in their depth was probably fruit of her wild imagination.

"We have company." he declared simply.

_No love._ Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of her mother.

"Mom" Caroline was so happy to see her mother. _Saved by the bell, _she giggled to herself.

Liz entered the basement surprised to see they were expecting her. She shrugged, they were vampires and could hear her breathing from a mile away.

She always considered herself a strong woman, she had proved it many times in her line of duty, facing the worse of both human and supernatural society. Still, seeing her precious daughter locked up like an animal in a cage made her want to weep. But she knew it wouldn't help Caroline, so she forced a smile on her face.

"Caroline. Are you OK?" was all she could say, the lump in her throat prevented her from saying more. She was never good with words, Caroline knew that. Besides, she felt awkward with the hybrid being so close.

Caroline wanted to say that she was not OK. She was hungry, she was exhausted, she ...

"Yeah mom, I'm OK considering the circumstances." Caroline didn't want to burden her mother with guilt, there was nothing she could do to help. "How have you been?"

"Working like crazy. Now that you're not home, there is nothing for me to rush back to." Liz regretted her choice of words, but they had both decided to be honest with each other.

"You shouldn't work yourself to exhaustion though. It's only going to be a few more days till we are free." She wished her fake optimism made her mother feel better.

Klaus greeted Liz with a nod and then went to stay at the other corner of the room. He could still hear them even if they were whispering, but at least it gave them a sense of privacy.

"How are things with ..." Liz pointed in Klaus's direction.

Caroline almost blushed. Why would her mother ask such a thing? What did she expect her to say? But then Caroline realized that to her mother the situation looked completely different from what she thought. Her mother saw her little daughter imprisoned with a psycho killer. Her only concern was for her physical well-being. No one considered this to be a trial for her heart.

"It's OK." She mouthed not wanting Klaus to overhear. "He's been good with me."

Liz looked skeptical, but she didn't press the matter further.

"I wish I could bring you something, honey." she said feeling powerless. It pained her to see her daughter turning into a ghost of her former self. Dark shadows had formed under her beautiful eyes, her face seemed gaunt, her shoulders slumped like she was carrying the weight of the world.

"It's OK mom, there are not many things that I actually need." _Apart from blood._ "Have you talked to Bonnie?"

"Everyday. She is still trying to figure out how to bring the barrier down. I'm sure she will make it till the full moon." She tried to reassure Caroline.

Caroline just nodded. She was tired of this optimist attitude, she had faith in Bonnie, but things were not looking very good right now.

"Mom, have you tried to contact Tyler?" Caroline whispered, but she knew Klaus could hear her.

"Yes, I have left him a dozen messages, but he hasn't returned any of my calls." Liz tried to be just as cautious, it was not a secret how the original hybrid felt about his former sired hybrid.

"He hasn't?" Caroline would swear that once Tyler knew about her captivity, he would come back to check on her. Klaus was locked with her, so for the time being there was no real threat to his life. "Oh my god, I hope he is OK."

A sudden thought made her shiver. What if Klaus had found him and had killed him? Otherwise Tyler would be here, by her side.

Klaus felt his blood boil just at the mention of the lesser hybrid. The ungrateful bastard was only able to breathe because Caroline begged him to let him live. But it didn't make it easy to hear the concern on her voice for the brat.

So she still loved him. He had to restrain himself from banging a fist on the wall. How tragic it was to lose to such a loser. He had thought a thousand times during his sleepless nights to haunt Tyler down and show him who was the Alpha. But then Caroline would hate him if he did. And there would be no coming back to what they had now.

_Which is actually a big nothing. I should have killed the brat, it's not like she will ever love me._

His murderous thoughts must have shown in his face, cause now Caroline was looking at him, a terrified expression on her face.

"Klaus? Please tell me that you haven't done anything to hurt Tyler." She was silently hoping that it was not true. She couldn't bear to lose them both, though at this moment she had neither of them. She knew that eventually she would make a choice, that's why his answer was too important.

He should be offended at the insinuation, but why would she think better of a monster? Apparently she thought him capable of anything. And he was. But she didn't seem to digest the idea that he was trying to change for her.

He looked her in the eye for a long moment then said. "No, I haven't."

"Why should I believe you?" she raised her voice unable to control herself, her whole body tense. The false security of having her mother beside her made her forget that Klaus was not someone you could shout at without repercussions.

"That is for you to decide, but you only have my word for it." He shrugged. "If it's not enough, why bother asking me?"

Caroline didn't know what to think. Her instinct told her he was telling the truth, but she knew he was ruthless. And he hated Tyler so much he would not hesitate to eliminate his rival. _Rival to what?_

"Swear to me that you haven't hurt him. Or give me your word if that is what you originals do."

A smirk formed on his full lips, threatening to soften her heart. "Elijah is the only one who honors his word with reverence. You're being childish. You don't value my word, but you value a simple oath? What would you have me swear on then?"

She squeezed her paralyzed brain, but didn't find anything reliable. He was right, she was being immature.

"Swear on your love for me." she finally said content that she found something he couldn't ignore.

Liz sighed, Caroline was a brilliant girl, but sometimes she could be so blind. Despite her disapproval of Klaus, she knew he would do anything for Caroline.

"You don't seem to believe I love you, but you want me to swear on it. Make up your mind Caroline."

_Oh, now he will assume I accept his love. Stupid Caroline. Stupid._

"OK forget about it." she tried a change in tactic. "So you're telling me you don't know where Tyler is?"

"No. All I'm saying is I haven't hurt him." He replied without losing his temper. Though God knew he was tempted to.

Caroline thought she misheard his words. Did he really say he knew where Tyler was?

"Excuse me? Can you please say that again?"

"I said I haven't hurt him." he repeated patiently.

"I got that. Say again the other part." She was starting to lose it.

Klaus decided not to play dumb anymore, the last days had been hard on her. He didn't want to burden her more than was necessary.

"Yes love, I know where Tyler is. Or was before this mess started."

Caroline drew a deep breath to calm herself. Klaus knew where Tyler was, but he hadn't hurt him. Yet. Why did he reveal this information now, did he want to use it against her?

"Where is he? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"You never asked me and frankly I didn't think you expected to learn your boyfriend's whereabouts from me." She was about to protest, but he didn't let her. "He's in Georgia. With his new pack."

Caroline couldn't find a damn thing to say. He was right, she shouldn't expect to learn from others where Tyler was. Now she knew he was with a new pack. She remembered how insecure she felt the last time he had found a pack. What if ...

Klaus could see she was consumed by doubts. He would love nothing more than to destroy the image of the ever faithful and devoted boyfriend to her. He could easily let her know about the brat's new pack, about how he was the new Alpha and how he had forgotten he had a girlfriend back home. Caroline would never believe him, even though in her heart she would know. But sometimes ignorance is bliss. So he decided to let go.

"Thank you." She felt betrayed though she didn't know why. Tyler should have contacted her, but if Klaus was telling the truth, he had chosen to ignore her.

_Out of sight, out of mind._ She thought disappointed.

Liz decided to end this conversation, it wasn't doing any good to Caroline.

"I'm coming back tomorrow sweetie. I love you."

Liz smiled at her and, before she turned to leave, she motioned to Klaus.

"Klaus, a word please?" The authority in her voice was obvious, but even though Klaus didn't care about it, he still obeyed. He was not that sensitive normally, but he could sense the mother's concern.

He approached the barrier so that they could talk. Caroline took a few steps back as she realized her mother wanted to talk to Klaus in private.

"Love you too mom. I'm gonna go freshen up." Her excuse was so ridiculous, that the other two looked at her as if she was insane.

Caroline left the room, trying her best not to overhear. She went to the bathroom and let the water run from the tap. She looked herself in the mirror and didn't like what she saw.

She started to count the bathroom tiles, but her curiosity got the best of her. What did her mother want to talk about with Klaus? She shouldn't have been so discrete, she should have just stood there, pretending not to listen.

Caroline counted till ten and then she went back to the room.

"Thank you Klaus." Liz said and then, waiving good-bye, left the basement.


	23. Chapter 23

_**I would like to thank my mother, my father and my dog for ...**_

_**Nah, just kidding (I always wanted to do the Oscar winning speech :P)**_

_**But I still want to thank a few people: MelodiousVengeance for proof-reading my story, KlarolineKolenaDaroline for keeping me in track, karmen238 for thinking just like me and all of you who keep me company during this little journey. Thank you :-)**_

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_Why did my mother thank him? Damn it, I should have stayed. Now my own mother is conspiring with Klaus._

"Uhmmm ... Klaus?" she interrupted his thoughts. "Can I ask you a question?" She imagined him answering with an accented _yes _and then waiting for her question. "And will you please answer with honesty?"

"Yes." he replied somewhat absent-mindedly. Apparently he was thinking about his last conversation with Liz. And Caroline wanted to be part of that little conspiracy, she hated being left outside.

"What did you and mom talk about?" she had every right to know.

"We came to an agreement, that's all."

"That's all? What could you possibly agree about with my mother? What's the deal?"

"It's nothing really. I accepted her request and she agreed to pay me in return." Klaus's face was unreadable.

"You're filthy rich. How could my mom pay you? Pay you for what? Come on, don't make me beg for it." she rolled her eyes dramatically to emphasize the phrase.

"She offered me your hand in marriage." he blurted out and waited for typhoon Caroline to strike.

Caroline's eyes grew wide in shock. This couldn't be happening to her. He seemed too nonchalant about this whole thing. But she was numb. Or was it shock? Was she offended? Was she a little, very very little, excited? No no no, definitely not. She was purely shocked, she decided.

"ARE YOU INSANE?" Her voice reminded him of a six year old girl, pissed off because her Barbie doll was misplaced. But he would never tell her such a thing. He may be indestructible, but he was not immune to pain.

He could keep the serious face, but it was like stealing candy from a child. She was too young and too quick to let her emotions take over. She would have already experienced the full spectre of emotions and was probably at the point in her own imagination where they took separate ways.

"Just kidding, love. Your hand is secure, out of my reach." A perfect smile graced his face, the only thing that kept her from scratching his eyes out of their sockets for making fun of her.

"Is that your idea of a joke? Cause I'm not laughing mister."

Caroline couldn't decide if she felt relieved or disappointed. Definitely relieved. Phew ... for a moment she thought she was condemned. _Condemned to see the world with him._

"Well actually I thought it was funny. You should have seen your face." But he knew to keep a safe distance from her fisted hands.

"Care to share the joke with us?" Damon's voice came out of nowhere.

Caroline jumped out of the bed from the sudden interruption.

"Jesus, Damon! Can you not knock or make some noise before you sneak up on us?" She was once again surprised she had not even sensed that Damon and Elena were standing behind her.

"Do you want me to hang a bell around my neck? I think if I was any louder the neighbours would complain." Of course he got a look from Elena for being so insensitive.

"Caroline, how are you?" Elena asked still finding it a little hard to face her friend.

Something in her voice made Caroline wonder if their friendship would ever be as it was before. It was not just Bettie's trick with the phone call. Ever since Elena turned her humanity switch on, they hadn't really talked about things openly. Caroline still considered Elena her best friend, her second best friend as a certain hybrid might point out, and she was sure Elena felt the same. But the harsh words had left their mark on Caroline's heart and it would take a little time to heal.

"I feel like I look." She replied with her usual sigh. But then she remembered she looked awful, what with the captivity and torture. She didn't mean to sound so bitchy. "No, actually I feel a lot better than I look."

Elena laughed, Caroline would never change, even if she was kept hostage together with a hated enemy nonetheless. "You look pretty good too. If I were in your place, I would have already turned into a zombie." Elena knew that both of them had pictured it in their mind and they started laughing like they shared a secret known only to them.

"Excuse us for interrupting your little party." Damon said, but he was smiling too. He liked the sound of laughter coming from his two favorite vampires.

"Any news yet?" Klaus asked when the giggles and laughs died away.

"Bonnie has buried herself in those creepy grimoires trying to find a solution. She thinks she may have found something. But we won't know for sure until the full moon." Elena explained.

"Elena, don't let her risk her life for this. It's not worth it." Caroline begged her friend. She wanted her freedom more than anything else, but not at the expense of Bonnie's life.

"I'll try." the brunette said knowing full well she couldn't keep her promise.

"Yeah, it's not worth saving his life." Damon said looking at Klaus with undisguised dislike.

"What took you so long? You're losing your touch Salvatore." Klaus said. Damon was so predictable it was amusing. OK so he didn't like Klaus, but what made him think Klaus cared how he felt?

"Well yeah, the barrier stopped me from showing you if I have lost my touch or not." Damon's look became blue ice shards, defying the powerful original in front of him.

"Then you are lucky the barrier's on, or I would show you the same." Klaus's voice was like velvet, but his words cut like daggers.

"Guys come on, grow up." Caroline scoffed at the two immature immortals.

None of them were happy about the outcome, but since they couldn't fight, they were grumpy.

"Guys, you don't have to come here everyday. It's not like you can bring me a nice bag of A+." Caroline said trying to change subject.

"But Care, we want to make sure you're OK. We love you and would do anything to get you back."

"I know Elena, but I also know it's not easy for you to see me like this. And it's not easy for me to be seen like this. I will be fine, don't worry about me."

Caroline missed her friends, she missed her old life. But she couldn't take it anymore. This reminder that life went on even if she was missing, hurt. She wanted to see familiar faces but when they left it tore at her heart. It felt like goodbye every time and she was not strong enough right now to face it. They reminded her of the freedom that was taken away from her.

She had Klaus. He would not hurt her no matter what. He could be annoying as hell, but at least she had someone to talk to. There was no real need for Elena and her friends to visit her regularly.

"Care, I don't want to leave you alone down here." She refrained from commenting on Klaus, at the last moment. It was no secret that she hated the man.

"I'm not alone Elena." Caroline said her voice a little spent.

Klaus felt his heart tremble for a moment, did she mean she was not alone because he was there with her? Had she finally come to grips with the reality of his presence in her life?

Elena contemplated her friend's words. Did she mean she knew her friends' thoughts and hearts were with her all the time? She fought back her tears, she was here to help Caroline, not to burden her anymore with unnecessary worries.

Damon looked at Caroline intently. Caroline's cautious look towards Klaus was not lost on him, even if she didn't think anyone was looking. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing. It could be his imagination, but he dismissed the thought quickly. He knew that deep down Caroline felt something for the hybrid. The days they spent together in captivity might reveal many more important things than Bettie's secret after all.

"So you're saying you want to be left completely alone with him?" Damon asked more because he knew that was expected from him. He was supposed to be the bad guy, bringing out the dirty skeletons from the closet, because no one else dared to do that.

"If your brain cannot control your mouth then maybe you shouldn't come here anymore." Caroline was angry with Damon. She was striving to keep Klaus at bay and Damon was not helping with the constant reminders that they were alone.

"Fine." Damon said just as angry now. It was one thing to hide from herself and a totally different thing to blame it on him. He was tired of the drama.

"Damon." Elena's voice held authority and the older vampire shrugged in resignation. "Care, don't listen to him. We want to be here for you."

"No Elena, I mean it, there is no need for you to come. It will only be a few more days." Caroline could see Elena wasn't convinced, so she decided to be honest with her. "It's painful to watch you all leave."

Elena gasped. It never occurred to her that Caroline would suffer from that. She thought her blonde friend needed companionship now that she was locked with Klaus of all people. She should have guessed it. Caroline feared being alone, but she dreaded being left behind.

"I'm sorry Care, I didn't realize. Will you be OK?" Elena wished she could hold her friend's hand.

Caroline was on the verge of tears, so she just nodded and prayed to stay strong enough till her friends were gone. And then she would cry as much as she wanted. She didn't care that Klaus was there. He had seen her at her best, had endured her at her worst. She wasn't ashamed to cry in front of him. It's not like he thought she was made of steel.

She took a few deep breaths trying to chase the tears away. The horrible lump in her throat didn't let her utter a word. But they would see each other again soon, right?

Klaus remained silent. He didn't know if Caroline's decision to be left alone was good for her or not. But he would accept it, because that is what she needed. She was trying desperately not to cry and his heart sank when he saw that tears were streaming down her face without her realizing it.

At some point she stepped out of the dream-like state she was in and was surprised at the moist on her skin. She quickly wiped away the proof of her weakness and didn't say a word.

She couldn't tell what time it was, so she went and lay down on her bed. It really didn't matter what time it was, there was nothing to do in this place beside sleeping.

She closed her eyes, declaring in this way that she wanted to be left alone with her thoughts. Sleep didn't come easy to her, but at some point she felt her grip on reality loosen. She was mortally afraid of her dreams, but even being awake hurt.

She didn't know what it was that woke her up from her slumber. She looked at Klaus and he seemed to be lost in his thoughts, his gaze fixed at some point on the ceiling. So he wasn't the one to disturb her sleep.

_Who is it now? What's with all the visits? It feels like it's visitors' day here at our prison._

Her face froze in a horrified expression. She couldn't believe her own eyes. She turned around to see if Klaus was seeing what she was seeing, but he still wouldn't look her way.

"What are you doing here?" she dared to ask the man in front of her.

"Oh Caroline, you don't have to be rude now." the man said with a mocking voice.

"I thought you were" A deep laughter coming from the opposite side of the barrier interrupted her mid-sentence.

"I am here to see how you failed me once again."

"It's not my fault. I didn't do anything wrong. I am a victim here." She wanted to be strong, but her words sounded like the weak defense of a helpless child.

"You disappoint me once again. You are a monster and a victim. You're pathetic Caroline." His eyes were so cold that shivers went down Caroline's body. She was paralyzed in place, her heart torn into shreds.

"You don't mean that. You told me that you loved me." She was crying now, she didn't want to fight the hurt anymore.

"I loved you, but you died the day you become a vampire." And with that the figure turned around and disappeared.

Caroline didn't have the strength to stand on her feet. She slumped against the wall behind her, unable to control her sobs. It hurt like she had been staked. Even worse, because this wound would not be healed by her vampire body.

She felt strong arms holding her shoulders. A very familiar face was looking at her with concern. Klaus was shaking her lightly to get her to look at him.

"What is it Caroline? Talk to me." He couldn't hide the worry in his voice. She looked so shaken, her face ashen from the terror of something she had seen.

"Klaus." The sobs returned with a renewed force. She shook her head in denial, but she didn't have the will to say or do more.

"What happened?" He didn't break contact, it seemed like she would fall and shatter to pieces. He hated being so powerless to help her, but if she wouldn't talk to him, he had no way of knowing what caused her break down.

"Didn't you see my father? He was standing right there a minute ago." she managed to say after a few minutes.

Klaus closed his eyes for a mere second. The hallucinations had seized her once again. But even if it wasn't real, her pain was real. He could feel her body shaking from the sobs and he hated the ghost of her dead father.

"Shhhh it's OK now. I'm here." he said still holding her.

"I want to die. Only then will he accept me."

"Caroline!" His stern voice made her look up into his eyes. She hadn't fully realized he was standing so close. She was overwhelmed by his strength. "Don't make me compel you."

"No no no please, please don't compel me." She was more frightened now than before, but even though she tried to, she couldn't escape his grip.

"OK then. Listen to me carefully. What you saw was an illusion, you are tired. Your father accepted you in the end, you told me so yourself." She was more relaxed now, but those damn tears were still pouring down in rivers. "Do you understand me?"

She knew he was right. Her father loved her and had accepted her. But the words of the heartless ghost still hurt. She felt so small, so weak, so vulnerable at that moment.

Would it be so terrible if she just let him comfort her right now? All she needed was a warm embrace, nothing else.

Without thinking twice she freed herself from his strong hold. He didn't want to hurt her in the process so he immediately let go. Caroline launched herself in his embrace, burying her face in his chest. And then she let all her sorrow explode.

Klaus was shocked at her reaction, he had never seen her like this. Her forehead rested on his chest, his heart mere inches away. She could hear it trying to escape his rib cage. Her silent plea for solace didn't leave him unmoved.

He wrapped his arms around her body and gently held her against him. He didn't say a word, he didn't flinch. All he did was offer her a sanctuary for the night. In the morning they would still be enemies. All that mattered now was that she knew she would be safe with him.


	24. Chapter 24

_**Special thanks to MelodiousVengeance for putting up with my many mistakes and correcting them. **_

_**I apologize for the delayed update :-)**_

* * *

His embrace was all she needed. Caroline couldn't tell how long they remained like that, all she knew was that she didn't want to let go.

_Just a little longer_, she promised herself.

It was weird how secure she felt in Klaus's arms. This was wrong, but the closer to the fire she came, the more drawn she felt to the welcoming warmth. She would get burnt, but she didn't care. It was better than the bitter cold of loneliness.

The tears had left paths on her face, but now she was calmer. Her forehead was still resting against his chest, the masculine scent of him filling her nostrils. A strange feeling came over her, a longing she could neither explain nor fight.

An enticing smell sent her senses into overdrive, a pure heavenly scent that made her mouth water. She grabbed his shirt as if trying to steady herself. Her eyes fell to the piece of cloth under her fingertips, small dried blood stains becoming the focus of her world.

Caroline remembered when Bettie had staked Klaus, that is how he got that blood on his shirt. How come she hadn't noticed it before? She was famished, she would do anything to taste a little blood, just enough to keep the pain away. She felt like a kid in front of an ice-cream truck.

She would never allow herself to taste that blood, but oh God, the craving was so overwhelming, she was breathless.

Klaus was lost in his thoughts, still holding Caroline in his arms. It was the closest he would ever get to her, and it made him sad to think that only hallucinations would bring down the barriers around her heart. The sobs had finally subsided, but she did not move away from him.

_Dare I hope she may have found a bit of love for me in her heart? Nah ... I am not that lucky. She is probably still in shock. Or she is embarrassed for letting me see her like this?_

Klaus had never known insecurity before. He was one of the strongest creatures in the world, he was indestructible. Never had he craved for acceptance before, except from his own mother. But she never loved him, she condemned him to an eternity of solitude. And Mikael? The man hated him long before he became an abomination.

Klaus chased the painful memories away, they belonged to the past. He felt Caroline grab at his shirt with unsteady hands. Should he let her go? What should he say to her to make her feel better?

He gently put his right hand under her chin and made her look at him. He was surprised when he saw the black veins around her eyes, the bloodshot glance she unwillingly cast him. She was vamped out and panicked.

Caroline didn't want him to see her like that. She turned her face away from his gaze. His perfect blue eyes narrowed a little, but he said nothing.

Klaus saw the lovely blonde focus her gaze once again at some point across the barrier.

_Damn it, who is it this time?_ He couldn't stand watching her suffer like that.

"Caroline, look at me." He commanded her. "Whoever it is, they're not real."

"I think Elijah is real." she said annoyed at the insinuation that she was hallucinating once again.

"Elijah? Why would you see him in your ..." how could he put it so as not to offend her?

"Klaus." his brother's voice reached him as if in a dream. "She's not hallucinating. I'm here."

Klaus couldn't believe his eyes, but all his senses told him that his brother was standing a few paces away from him. He was pleasantly surprised at the sight of him. The dark suit, the perfect hair, the man seemed like he just came out of the pages of a fashion magazine. And he was smiling.

"Elijah."

And then Klaus realized how they might look to a bystander, embraced like two people who couldn't stay away from each other. He immediately removed his hands from Caroline's arms and took a step away from her.

"Care to tell me what happened? I thought you went to see the world with your lady love." His velvet voice showed that he was enjoying this.

"How did you know where to find me?" Klaus ignored the question. He was more than happy to see his brother, but he had questions that needed answers.

"Stefan called me and asked for my help." Elijah's face became serious. After that phone call he ran like crazy back to Mystic Falls. He needed to see with his own eyes that his brother was OK. He even tried to create a mental connection with Klaus, but the barrier had blocked it.

"I'm grateful that you came, brother." Klaus replied, the gratitude evident in his features. It warmed his heart to see someone from his own family. They had a long history of daggering, mostly on his part, grudges and hard feelings. But in the end, they stuck together. Always and forever.

"I brought my best witch with me to assist Bonnie with her spell."

Caroline's heart skipped a beat at the great news. Help was on the way, Bonnie would not have to sacrifice herself for the spell.

Elijah frowned slightly when he took in his brother's appearance. His once white shirt was stained in various places with dry blood, a large piece of cloth missing from the front. Klaus was the original hybrid, the most powerful of them all. Seeing him caged like an animal made his heart ache.

"Will you be staying?" Klaus hated that his voice sounded a little too needy.

"I have some pressing matters to attend to in New Orleans. But I'll drop by in a couple of days."

Elijah couldn't name it, but he sensed something was different about his brother. He could tell it wasn't fear, Klaus had made it his mission in life not to fear anything in this world. And yet, it smelled a lot like fear. But this ... And then it dawned on him. Klaus was not afraid for himself.

"I really wished you had gone to see the world with the lovely Miss Forbes."

Caroline blushed even though the original didn't say anything provoking. She could imagine the teasing Klaus would get once they made it out. But then, when they made it out of here, she wouldn't know what Klaus would be doing, right?

"You believed it?" Klaus wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not.

"To be honest it felt a little strange that you would disappear like that without so much as a notice. But then, when do you ever announce your intentions?" He was smiling again. "I was happy for you, though ..."

"Don't you dare say I told you." Klaus warned his big brother. He remembered quite vividly a conversation they had about love.

"Uhh. Excuse me." Caroline raised her voice so that the two originals didn't ignore her presence anymore.

The two brothers turned to look at her and Caroline felt a little uneasy at the attention she suddenly got.

"Yes, love?"

Her gaze focussed on Elijah, ignoring the butterflies forming in the pit of her stomach upon hearing the endearment. "Your only objection was that he didn't notify you? Why did everyone believe so easily that I would run away with Klaus?"

Good Lord, why does she always make it sound like it is an offense?

"So I guess I wasn't the only one to assume that. Let's just say, my brother can be very persuasive." Elijah replied with a small smile. Caroline was adorable when she was angry. And when she was lying. To herself.

"You mean he has a habit of compelling himself his dates?" She didn't want to think of that, she didn't care after all.

"Compel? Why no. He just turns his charm switch on."

Klaus wanted to throw a fist at Elijah's face, apparently he was enjoying this too much. "You're not helping brother." Klaus growled.

"I didn't think you were in need of help. But if you are, I can say a word or two in your favor."

"Seriously?" Caroline couldn't believe that even after thousands of years of existence, the brothers could be so immature.

Elijah threw his hands up in resignation. "You're probably right Ms Forbes. I should have never assumed you would dare to give my brother a chance. My apologies." Then he turned to Klaus. "I give you my word I'll do whatever it takes to get you out of here."

Klaus nodded in return. Elijah's word was stronger than a blood contract.

A few moments later they were once again alone. Klaus was feeling a lot better now that he knew Elijah would move heaven and earth to set them free. But he couldn't tell if that precious help would come in time.

He turned around to face Caroline. She may be angry at him, but it didn't concern him much. He was instead concerned of her unfocused gaze.

Moments before Elijah came in, he was sure he saw her vamp out. It was clear that the lack of blood was showing.

Caroline couldn't focus on his face. His piercing gaze was too much for her right now, so she opted for the next best thing. Her eyes fell once again at the bloodstain on his left shoulder. She licked her dry lips involuntarily, drawing his gaze on them and making her uncomfortable.

Oh my God, he is going to kiss me. Again. What do I do? What do I say? She desperately needed a plan.

But Klaus never tried to kiss her. He approached her and gently led her to sit on her bed. Despite her nervousness he sat to her right.

Caroline was unable to form a coherent thought. He didn't kiss me.

Klaus took a deep breath and then silently offered his right wrist to her. She needed to feed. Now. They both knew she wouldn't last much longer without suffering. Hell, she was already in pain, though she tried valiantly to hide it.

Caroline shook her head in denial. She wouldn't drink his blood, it was not right. But then the thought of the precious liquid running through her veins made her vamp out. She couldn't control herself anymore. But still she didn't bite into the flesh before her eyes.

She closed her eyes trying to calm down. The rhythmic sound of his heart beat was now louder than drums. It hypnotized her, it held her captive under its spell.

When she thought she had won this little battle, that intoxicating smell hit her like a tidal wave. She opened her eyes with an emergency she couldn't hide, only to look upon a small gash in his wrist.

She found it hard to resist his offer before, now she knew she was lost. The red drops of blood on white flesh drew her like a magnet.

"Klaus ... I don't want to"

"You don't have to like it love. Just drink, you need it."

"No."

Her weak denial didn't convince anyone. With her last reserves of strength she reasoned to herself that he was immortal, he wouldn't miss a few gulps of blood. And he was offering it freely, right?

"I can be very persuasive." He said calmly when he saw she was hesitating, letting the meaning of those words sink in.

And she understood. "No, please. Don't compel me. Please."

The decision was one she would not be proud of later. But she could only think of now and the man right beside her. Her dark savior.

She took his wrist in her hand and then brought it slowly to her mouth. The moment her lips covered the small gash, she felt a shiver run through her spine. A little gasp escaped her throat at the contact.

And then it was heaven on earth. She started to drink from the vein, the silence in the room broken only by the sound of gulping and her thunderous heart beat. Or was it his?

His blood was like an elixir, its taste so unique, so divine. The life-giving liquid ran through her veins, reviving her aching body and restoring its strength. With every gulp that she took, she felt like a bridge was forming between them.

Now his blood ran in hers, a strange force drawing her towards him. This was better than a kiss, she thought blushing. It was so intimate, like a delicate touch making her skin tickle with anticipation. Was it normal to feel so? She had drunk his blood twice before, but both times she was in too much pain from the werewolf venom to notice.

Klaus welcomed the bliss from the blood sharing. It was the only way he could help her. The only way she would accept his help.

Her long eyelashes threw shadows under her eyes, her pale face was now starting to shine with a healthy color. Her lips on his wrist were almost too much for him to bear. But he remained still.

After what seemed like eternity, she forced herself to stop. It wouldn't be good to drain him. Even though he would heal, he himself was without blood for many days. Before she let go of his hand, she licked the last few drops of blood off his skin.

He had to brace himself from the pleasure that attacked his senses. This was sweet torture.

Caroline was now avoiding looking at him. She felt embarrassed that she used him as a blood bag. Still, she felt eternally grateful for his offer.

"Thank you, Klaus."

"Anytime, love." Even without looking she felt the smile in his voice. "How are you feeling?"

_Amazing_. She thought.

There was no point in avoiding his gaze. He was leaning on his left hand, all the while looking at her with genuine concern. Was it her, or did he seem a little pale?

"I'm good." she said simply.

"Now, do you care to explain your irrational fear of compulsion?" this was something that had been bothering him for a while now.


	25. Chapter 25

Caroline was still feeling awkward after drinking Klaus's blood. The pain was gone; the craving for blood no longer had her on edge. A weird sense of euphoria settled in her mind. After those intense moments, all she wanted was to be left alone to process everything that had happened.

They were still sitting on the bed and the proximity to him made her nervous. She stood up and started pacing nervously through the room. She expected Klaus to do the same, but he didn't move from the bed. For a moment Caroline wondered if it was because he was weak from blood loss, but she immediately dismissed the thought. He was Klaus, something this small wouldn't even slow him down.

His question still lingered between them. She didn't want to answer; it was something she never discussed with anyone. Did Klaus demand an answer as payment for saving her from desiccation?

Caroline studied his face through narrowed eyes. All she saw there was concern and curiosity. She understood that they had to talk, otherwise the days till their release would be terribly boring. But why couldn't they talk about something else? He had lived for so long that he could talk for months and still have something to add.

She could see the determination in his eyes, he wouldn't let the matter go. She sighed, resigned, and tried to stay as close to the truth as she could.

"Have you ever met someone that likes being compelled?" She answered with a question.

"It depends on what they want to forget." He said mysteriously.

"I don't think we're talking about the same thing." She clarified. "We're talking about manipulating people to suit your plans or just to have fun."

"So you have never compelled anyone?" Klaus was always fascinated with the way people tried to justify their actions.

"I have, but mostly it was to make them forget they saw something that they couldn't explain." she defended herself.

There was no way it was the same thing as what he did to Tyler, when he compelled him to bite her just to test the sire bond. The memories of their first encounter rushed back to her.

It was her birthday and she was lying on her deathbed. He came into the room and talked to her like no one had before. For a tyrant, he surprised her when he offered her a chance to decide her own future. Till then she hadn't realized she had changed. She hated killing innocent people so she could survive, but she loved her new self. She became confident, strong and was finally able to protect the ones she loved.

He told her about genuine beauty, a whole world that was waiting to be explored, he opened her eyes and made her embrace her true nature. He could have compelled her to drink his blood and she would have had no choice, but for the first time someone actually respected her wish.

_Why did I go back to that moment? It has nothing to do with our discussion._ She thought a bit annoyed at herself.

"I reckon you detest compulsion because of something that happened to you, not in principle."

"No, I don't agree with taking people's freedom of choice away. It has nothing to do with me." But her eyes said otherwise.

Klaus may be evil, but he was not stupid. The slight tremble in her voice, the way she averted her beautiful eyes to avoid his, the way she bit her lower lip contradicted her previous declaration.

_I have the right to remain silent. Anything I say can and will be used against me._ Just because he asked, it didn't mean she had to answer. They had become close, that was true, but not that close.

"You want me to guess?" Klaus took her lack of response as a challenge. They both loved challenges.

Caroline didn't agree to this game, but neither did she refuse to play. She had been a scared child for too long; she had been an angry adult for just as long. She needed to let go of that awful feeling of being used. If Klaus was to find his way through the maze of possibilities, it would be a sign that he knew her well enough to earn the right to judge her.

Klaus looked like a child ready to go on an adventure. Even if what he would find would not be pleasant, the joy of finding her deepest secret made him radiate with energy. If he knew what bothered her, he could help.

He stood up from the bed and started pacing the room in anticipation. However, the room was too small for both of them to be running around, so Caroline took her place on her bed. It felt better to put a little distance between them. She didn't need the distraction of his presence now that she was vulnerable. Yet, her eyes followed him around the room, afraid of what his reaction would be when he found out and fascinated at his insistence to know.

"I'll start with the when. If it was after you became a vampire, it could only be an Original." He frowned a bit at the thought that a member of his family would dare to hurt his Caroline. "I will rule myself out for obvious reasons." He chuckled and then continued. "If it was Kol or Finn, it doesn't matter anymore, it would have worn out and you would still not remember the compulsion. That leaves us with Elijah and Rebekah. Elijah is too smart to attempt something like this. Rebekah is not that stupid either. Though I can't say you are the best of friends, but still..."

All this time he was studying her reactions. Her face was expressionless, until he mentioned Rebekah. She chuckled at her name and he raised an eyebrow in question.

"She might have compelled my cheerleading team to accept her, but I don't think she would do anything more drastic than that." Caroline said to reassure him. Somehow he looked like he was desperately hoping his remaining siblings weren't the ones to blame.

Klaus let out the breath he was unconsciously holding.

"So, it was when you were human. We weren't in your life then, so the Originals are not suspects anymore."

_Is it just me, or is he enjoying this? I shouldn't be giving him clues, but it would be cruel to turn him against his brother and sister._

"We are searching for a vampire in Mystic Falls, since you have not traveled much." Till now it was easy. "This has obviously hurt you, so it must have been someone close to you." His thoughts were getting darker and darker and he didn't like it at all.

"I would start with Katerina Petrova. If I recall correctly, she was the one to kill you." He sighed. "I should have killed her for that long ago. With that aside, if she had compelled you, you would hate her, but you wouldn't feel hurt. Am I going in the right direction here?"

Caroline tried to stay expressionless, but to her surprise she realized she wanted someone to know. She slightly nodded but said nothing.

_It would have been better if it was Katerina._ Klaus thought, now getting more serious.

"The Salvatore brothers are the next suspects on the list. You and Stefan have become friends. If it was in his Ripper days, it might have been him. That man has an incredible fantasy when it comes to ..." then he realized that talking to her about his and Stefan's activities on those happy days in the 20's would only make her hate him more. It was annoying that she would only hate him and not Stefan, but that's the way it was.

"Even when I made him switch his humanity off, he fought against it. I can't imagine Saint Stefan as he is now doing something that unacceptable as hurting you. She was becoming more nervous by the minute. Now he knew why.

"Damon Salvatore." He said the name slowly, his voice hiding the turmoil of his feelings. "We got who and when. We need the why."

But she was not looking at him anymore. She was blushing and hugged herself in an attempt to protect herself from his inquisitive eyes. He came to stand in front of her, but still far enough to let her breathe.

Caroline couldn't control herself, she felt like crying, but she had sworn to herself not to cry anymore. He had come this far, but she didn't have the courage to listen to his speculations about what had happened. She realized that all this was only to prepare her to open up to him.

She took a deep breath and focused her attention on her fingers. She was conscious of his eyes on her and knew that he would not interrupt her until she was finished with her confession.

"It was when I was human. Damon was out of control at that time, he didn't care for any of us. He compelled me to be his ... girlfriend." She felt ashamed at how it sounded, but didn't dare to look at him. "He would feed on me and then buy me dresses to show up at parties like a happy couple. At that time I remember feeling good that someone that gorgeous had chosen me for once. I was flattered. When he got bored of me and found a new interest, he let me go. Just like that, no apologies, nothing. It still didn't feel that weird, people tend to leave me behind. When I became a vampire, I remembered it all." She stopped to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat.

"In the beginning I hated him. I hated how he used me, like I was a blood bag, a toy he could play around with till he got bored. I don't even remember if he ever apologized to me. But he was Stefan's brother and Elena had formed a strong attachment to both of them. They protected us, Stefan taught me how to control my killer instincts. And gradually I followed, either way no one was interested in my wounded pride."

Klaus had seen how Damon teased her and how she always reacted to him. He had never thought that the underlying tension between them went this far. He knew Damon had saved her when he tried to break the curse. He could tell the vampire cared for Caroline, but still...

"So you forgave him." It was not a question.

Caroline nodded. He said it in a low voice, but when she finally found the courage to look at his face, she was suddenly afraid. He had his emotions under control, but now his eyes were dark and menacing.

"I came to realize he was lonely. He had given me his blood to heal me after the accident. It was his way of redeeming for what he did to me. He has changed since then."

_Why is she defending him? I have saved her twice, I even spared her petty boyfriend's life but she hasn't forgiven me for being a monster. Damon was lonely? He doesn't even know the meaning of loneliness._

A blind rage came over him. Yet, he remained still. It was hard to accept that she had forgiven Damon, but still loathed him. It was unfair, but he knew better than anyone that life wasn't fair.

"Anyone capable of love is capable of being saved." He said slowly. "Isn't that right, love?"

Caroline gasped at his words. She remembered when she had said those same words to him, but she hadn't forgiven him for what he did to her and her friends. Suddenly she asked herself whether she was having double standards. Would she forgive Damon if he wasn't Stefan's brother? Would she forgive him if Elena wasn't in love with him? Would she forget what he did just because he saved her later?

Klaus had saved her too. Why was she so reluctant to forgive him? Did she need her friends' approval for that? Was Elena's love more valuable than her own judgement?

"Yes." She replied, her eyes trying to tell him that she believed that. Not only for Damon.

Klaus accepted her answer with a nod. He would teach that brat a lesson, that was the only thing he was sure about right now.

Caroline could see the murderous look in his eyes.

"Klaus? Promise me you will not do anything stupid." She was suddenly afraid for Damon. She hadn't realized how it would look in Klaus's eyes. He was jealous and overprotective of her, definitely not a good combination.

"What do you mean by stupid?" He replied nonchalantly. "Killing that insect? Torturing him? Compelling him to rip his own heart out?"

Caroline lost her color. He was serious. Even if he wanted to punish Damon for what he did to her, she could never accept that.

"No harm will come to Damon because of me."

It hurt him to hear those words. Did she have feelings for Damon?

"No, I don't have feelings for him." She replied. For the briefest moment he let his emotions show and she knew exactly what he was thinking. "But I am not a killer. And I don't [want] you to be one because of me. I give second chances to people who fight for them." She said, hoping he would take the hint.

_Second chances. What would it take for me to get my first chance?_ "As you wish."

"Please, promise me that you will let this go. I already feel better now that I told someone about it. That was all I really needed."

Her desperate plea softened his heart. Despite what had happened, if he punished Damon she would blame herself. He would once again be the reason for her suffering.

"Promises are for the weak." He said, his usual calm demeanor back in place.

"It takes a lot of strength to keep a promise." She disagreed. She could see he was convinced to let Damon be for now and wanted to hug him for showing compassion, even if it was for her sake.

"Promises are only for the benefit of the ones on the receiving end. When you're strong, you don't need a reminder to do what you want to do. Only the weak hide behind a promise to justify and motivate their actions."

The statement struck her as weird, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Klaus was full of surprises. She found herself wondering how this proud man viewed the world. They always labelled and categorized him by their own standards. But he was bigger than that. He had seen the world; he had helped shape the world from the shadows.

Klaus could almost hear the gears in her mind grinding as she tried to digest what he told her. One day he would love to open up his heart and talk to her like he had never talked to anyone before. Maybe it was too soon. She needed more time.

"By the way, does this stench bother you?" He changed the subject with a smirk on his full lips.

"What stench?" She asked and suddenly became anxious. _Oh my God, I should have taken a shower. I'm so embarrassed. But I don't smell anything._

"The stench from the wolf corpse in the other room." he replied calmly waiting for her to realize the truth.

Caroline glared at him. What was he saying? She had completely forgotten about the corpse of the wolf in the next room. That was the reason why Klaus had moved to her room in the first place. How could she have forgotten about that? Her vampire senses would never dismiss such a horrible stench. But even now that she remembered the poor beast, she could not smell anything offensive to her nose.

_What is going on? Why can't I_... And then it hit her. Klaus had compelled her to ignore the stench from the dead animal.

"You compelled me? After knowing how I feel about it?" She should be thanking him, but she was too proud to admit it.

"No, it was before I knew how you felt." He was not angry at her; it wasn't easy to accept that you had no control over yourself. "But I would do it again."

She didn't know what to say. Her neurotic self wanted to shout at him and preach once again about how wrong it was. The mature Caroline was grateful that he cared so much for her. He wanted to protect her and make her stay here as endurable as possible. He had fed her his blood to keep her strong and in a lucid state of mind. That was much more than others, less evil, had done for her.

"Do you want me to remove the compulsion?"

Caroline didn't have to answer. They both knew she was not stupid, she was just afraid of accepting this new reality.

"Have you compelled me for anything else?"

_Just be grateful and let it go for once, love._ "Like what? Be hostile to me? Remind me every time that I'm a monster?"

She was surprised at how his words stung. If she wanted to be fair, he had done nothing but protect her during this mess. And she was being judgmental and always blamed him for everything. If he had compelled her, it would be so easy to explain her contradictory feelings for him, her attraction to this man. But if not...


	26. Chapter 26

_**Once again I would like to thank MelodiousVengeance for her precious help with proof-reading the story :-)**_

_**I also apologize for the late update. My only excuse is "C'est la vie" :-)**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

Yet another day had come to its end. Nothing had changed; they were still locked in this horrible place.

They could only measure time by Klaus's wristwatch, according to which, it was past midnight. Caroline looked at the beautiful watch now gracing her delicate wrist. She smiled when she recalled Klaus's exasperated sigh after she had asked him about the time for the tenth time.

"It is safe to say that you need this more than I do." And then he had given her his watch, just like that.

It looked quite expensive, a very elegant and classy accessory, yet not exaggerated. It seemed old and new at the same time; no visual damage on its surface. The object radiated a peculiar resistance to the ravages of time. Just like its owner, Caroline thought to herself.

Trying to be as quiet as possible, she unfastened the band and turned the watch so that she could look at the under side. She had already checked twice for an inscription and she knew what she would find there: his initials, KM, carved in a beautiful handwritten script. She traced the letters with her fingertip as if she was trying to learn their story.

Her wild imagination kicked in and she started to make assumptions on who might have given him that watch. It must have been someone that knew him well enough to pick out a gift that suited him so well. It might have been one of his siblings offering it to him for a special occasion. Birthdays did not qualify as special occasions for one as ancient as Klaus, but who knows how many things he must have accomplished in his long existence.

It was also possible that a good friend may have wanted to show their appreciation to the Original. She dismissed the thought, Klaus had told her about his lack of friends.

He might have even picked it up for himself. I might be tempted to compel someone to obtain such a fine object, she chuckled at the thought.

Somehow she didn't like to think of a mysterious woman from his past that might have given him this gift, something that was so important to him that he kept it all those years. She could almost imagine the look of pleasant surprise in his beautiful blue/gray eyes, a seductive smile slowly gracing his full lips, lighting up his face. Then he would express his gratitude in his deep, velvet voice; the words flowing around like gentle caresses. His hand would gently rest upon blushed cheeks, as light as a feather, causing a sudden gasp of anticipation.

Caroline realized she was breathless. What on earth was she doing? Why was she fantasizing about him once again? She was reluctant to admit that even though she was thinking about Klaus and some other woman, in her fantasy, she was looking directly into his eyes; the words he whispered still echoing in her ears, the light brush of his fingers still lingering on her flesh.

_Damn watch_. For a moment she considered throwing it against the wall to shatter the confusion from the dreamlike vision, but she couldn't bring herself to destroy it. After all, it was not hers to destroy; he had only loaned it to her for now. She quickly fastened the band again and tried hard to forget those illusions, but the weight of the cool metal against her flushed skin still reminded her of him.

This was not working; daydreaming about Klaus was not the smartest thing to do. Caroline was only thinking about such trivial things to forget about her mother's visit a few hours before.

~~~~~ Flashback ~~~~~

"Mom." Caroline wanted to sound cool but she was so happy to see her mother again. She had told her friends not to come visit her, because she didn't want to burden them with guilt. The fact that her mother still chose to come and see her, made her want to cry.

"Hi sweetheart, how are you holding up?" Liz looked cool and composed, but Caroline could sense the tension in her voice.

"I'm great actually." At that moment she felt like a child, happy to see her mother walking through the kitchen door. She missed that feeling.

Liz looked carefully at her daughter trying to see for herself if she was OK. Caroline looked tired and disheveled, but that was only normal after being locked up for so many days. Dark shadows had formed under her eyes, but the color on her face showed that she was not suffering from desiccation. She sighed in relief at seeing that her baby girl was safe, even though that was ridiculous if she thought about the man she was locked up with.

Klaus had retreated from the room to give them some privacy. Just before he went out the door, Liz nodded at him and smiled as if he were an old friend. Klaus thought he imagined it, but he knew better. If nothing else, the woman knew how to be grateful.

Caroline wanted to ask her mother so many things, but she didn't know where to start. She thought she should ask her the most important things first. No matter how hard she tried to come up with a list of questions, she was amazed to realize that she didn't have a thing.

She wanted to know how her friends were doing, but the general "They're doing fine and they miss you" was not that comforting to her. She wanted to know how her mother was holding up, but Liz would never make her worry by telling her the truth.

She wanted to know how the preparations for the founder's day ball were going, but suddenly that felt like such an unimportant detail. How come some of the things that used to matter to her had become so trivial? Had she changed in such a short amount of time or were they never that important? Had she chosen not to see the truth? Was she hiding behind a hectic schedule to fight off her loneliness?

"All I need to know is how you are doing." Caroline said, having decided that the only thing that mattered in the end was her family. "Tell the truth, please."

Liz was about to reassure her daughter that she was OK, but Caroline's last words stopped her. She realized, ashamed, that she needed to talk to someone and the only one that could understand her was her precious daughter.

"It's hard." she said quietly. "Everyone thinks that you are on vacation, so I have to keep a brave face and not show how concerned I am. I miss you and I keep praying that you come back to me."

Caroline bit her upper lip, her heart aching for her mother. Even though this was no vacation, she was not alone, while her mother had no one to help her through the pain.

"You don't have to worry mom. If you think about it you will realize that this is the safest I have ever been since becoming a vampire."

Caroline's words surprised both of them. She only meant to comfort her mother, but she finally came to accept the simple truth that she felt safe with Klaus. He would protect her from man and beast, from desiccation and boredom.

Even though he was the reason she was locked here in the first place, that didn't change the fact that he would do anything to keep her safe. Besides, she had been caught in the crossfire before; being held captive wasn't a first for her.

Caroline looked at her mother ready for her objection. Liz tilted her head to the right, all the while watching her daughter. Bizarre as it was, she agreed with Caroline. No one could harm her right now, except for the Original hybrid, and he had already proven that he put her life and happiness before anything else.

Liz was happy for her daughter, though she would not express her approval of this situation so easily. Klaus was still an enigma to them; his love for Caroline might prove to be dangerous. Yet, Liz knew that she could finally rest knowing that Caroline was safe.

"I'm glad for you hon." Liz smiled. "I also wanted to talk to you about something. I don't know if I should wait till you get out, but... "

Caroline didn't like the way her mother wouldn't look her in the eye. It was definitely something unpleasant. She tried to guess, but this was much worse, because she was already creating crazy scenarios in her mind. The truth couldn't be that horrible, she was sure.

"Then you shouldn't have brought it up." She didn't want to sound so harsh. "Now you have to tell me mom. You know I am stronger now." She said hoping for that to be true.

"Tyler called me today." she revealed reluctantly, holding her breath, waiting for Caroline's reaction.

This was the last thing Caroline had expected. She was surprised at first, then joy lit up her face at the news. It took her mere seconds to become skeptical. If it was good news, her mother wouldn't be so reluctant to tell her. All the joy was lost, giving place to sorrow.

"Did he call my number or yours?" She couldn't tell why it was so important.

"He called my number; I had told him you didn't have your cell phone with you." Liz decided to get it over with, the waiting was more stressful. "He wanted to know how you were."

_It surely took him many days_, Caroline thought bitterly. "And? When is he coming back?" She already knew the answer, but still wanted to hear it.

"I'm sorry hon. He told me he cannot come right now. He has faith in Bonnie and is sure that your friends will do everything in their power to help you."

It should hurt like hell, but all Caroline could feel was an emptiness in her heart. She had sensed that Tyler wouldn't come for her. It was too good to be true; no one would stay with her forever. It annoyed her that he didn't even try to break up with her face to face.

"He's not breaking up with you, sweetie, he just can't come right now." Liz said, her words not very convincing.

"No? Then he shouldn't run for boyfriend of the year." She felt tired and disappointed, like she had lost the will to fight.

_Why bother to get out of here if there is nothing waiting for me out there?_ Caroline wondered silently.

"Anyway, I have bigger problems than that." she said putting an end to the discussion. A hint her mother took immediately.

"Don't give up, sweetheart." Liz sent her a kiss and then walked away, leaving Caroline alone with her thoughts.

~~~~~ End of Flashback ~~~~~

Caroline shook her head trying to shake the memories away, but she couldn't. Tyler's face danced before her eyes; this time his brown eyes mocking her. Her heart was frozen, unwilling to heal from yet another strike of abandonment.

_Am I that unimportant? Am I so insignificant? Isn't something missing? Isn't someone missing me?_ Caroline hated self pity, but she was so accustomed to it by now that it only felt normal.

She was unconsciously brushing her fingertips over the watch on her wrist. If only she could stop the time on those precious moments when she was happy with Tyler. But she knew that would be a lie. If only she could be strong enough to handle this.

Silent tears slid over her cheeks, but she didn't make a move to wipe them. What was the point in that? She was alone again. Tyler hadn't broken up with her, but he wasn't here to comfort her either. She didn't need a boyfriend to send her flowers on Valentine's Day. She needed someone to help her get up when she fell, to dry her tears when she cried, to hold her hand when she woke up from a nightmare, to laugh with her. She wanted someone to offer just the same comfort, to share her love with.

It didn't matter anymore. She was strong now; somehow she would find the strength to overcome her sorrow.

She was being stupid, crying her heart out for someone who wouldn't even come to her in such circumstances. It was better when she was fantasizing about Klaus. At least then her heart felt whole, not like a bruised and battered piece of meat.

She willed herself to sleep, seeking comfort in the depths of a pair of piercing blue eyes.

* * *

Klaus was resting in his bed, if you could call it resting. His mind was as restless as a beast. He could tell that Caroline was crying. He would bet his left hand that it had something to do with her mother's visit earlier that evening.

He hadn't stayed in the room out of discretion, but now he regretted that decision. He should have stayed and comforted Caroline, if she would let him.

He closed his eyes and let his hands rest over his chest. Sleep deprivation was torture, yet he couldn't relax. He should sleep in order to regain his precious strength. It took all his will power to stay quiet and give Caroline space to process her feelings.

Klaus knew that only one thing could spoil Caroline's good mood after seeing her mother. Only one thing would send her to tears.

A most hated name came to his lips: Tyler.

What was it with guys here in Mystic Falls? Were they all bent on making the life of this adorable young woman miserable? First Damon and now Tyler. He felt the rage build inside him, eating away at his defenses. Thankfully he was stronger than that.

He wanted to ask her if she needed anything, but he was sure she would reject his offer. She was too proud to let him see her like this. She would most likely say that something got into her eyes.

Klaus wondered if there was still place in her heart for him. She was so young and yet her heart was already broken. Would she give him a chance to help her heal? Was he so sure that he wouldn't end up breaking her heart just the same?

He was tired of trying to prove he was capable of being saved. His words held no value to her; she doubted that he loved her. How could he ever make her see the truth when her eyes were closed?

_Well silly, just make her open her eyes._ The little voice in his head screamed. _Yeah, because that is so easy._ He answered in silence. Even though he had never walked away from a challenge, he felt this one was different. He had the power to make her offer him her heart, but he needed her to do that willingly.

Time was on his side, he wouldn't pressure her anymore. He had already given his heart to her. It was her decision whether she accepted that gift or not. That was the last thought before he drifted into a much needed sleep.


	27. Chapter 27

Caroline woke up from her deep, troubled sleep breathing hard. She couldn't remember the details from her nightmare, but the fear lingering in her heart was unnerving. At first she thought she was in her room, but she soon realized her mistake.

The room was dark, but she could still make out the silhouette of the man standing in front of the barrier. He was so still that you could mistake him for a statue.

Caroline tried to focus, giving her eyes time to adjust to the dark. Klaus had his back turned on her, his arms tied together behind his back. He was lost somewhere in the depths of his mind, because he didn't react to the sound of her sitting up on her bed. She didn't want to disturb him, so she stayed quiet.

His posture reminded her of someone who was holding the weight of the world on his shoulders. What was he thinking about? Should she break the silence or let him be?

She looked at the watch and saw it was 7:13 A.M. _Oh my God, there is a whole new day ahead to endure._ Caroline wished she could go back to sleep; at least this way time seemed to fly by more effortlessly.

The sound of her stomach growling made her wrap her arms around her as if to block the embarrassing noise. That was when Klaus finally realized she was awake.

He slowly turned around to face her. His magnificent blue eyes shone in the dark with an out-worldly glow that captivated her. The illusion only lasted mere seconds before he turned the dim light on.

Caroline closed her eyes so that the light wouldn't hurt her eyes. When she opened them again, Klaus was standing just a few feet in front of her.

"Thank God I can't die of a heart attack." she said in a low voice. She was unnerved by his silent movements, she never knew where he was standing until it was too late.

He ignored her comment. "Did you sleep well, love?"

_We reverted back to "love"_, she thought. Suddenly it didn't feel so bad; his suave voice sending small shivers down her spine.

"Not really." she answered with honesty. She was not complaining, but she didn't care about making him worry.

"Are you hungry then?" Klaus seemed like he was miles away from there. He asked the question almost typically, though the warm look he reserved for her was proof enough that his concern was genuine.

She wanted to say No, but her rebellious stomach chose to disagree at that specific moment. She avoided his eyes, it was too embarrassing. And even if she said yes, what would he do?

"I'm being Mr. Obvious here." he said with a small smile.

Caroline watched in amazement how that little curl of his lips transformed him from ice cold to warm like the sun. She found herself staring intently at those plump lips, her focus shifting from his eyes to his mouth.

_Bad move, go back to the eyes. NOW._ If Klaus noticed that little indiscretion, he didn't make any comment.

He sat silently beside her. She didn't protest. He bit at his right wrist. This was a scene she had seen before. The butterflies in her stomach alarmed her, yet she didn't flinch.

He extended his wrist to her, looking deep into her wide open eyes. There were traces of blood at the corners of his mouth. Dark crimson lips against pale skin was all she could see.

"I can't do this Klaus." she said with a spent voice. It wasn't right; she couldn't drain him as if he were a blood bag.

"You can and you will, love." he stated matter-of-factly.

They were standing so close she could see the dark blue eyes starting to dilate.

"Are you going to compel me? Seriously?"

"If I have to." He sighed in exasperation. _Why did she always have to make things so difficult for him?_ "You need blood."

Klaus was right, she needed blood. She craved for it, but she didn't want to admit her weakness.

_I am not a small girl anymore, I can handle the blood lust._ They both knew this was a lie. He had been without blood for more than two weeks now, but he was an original and she was a baby vampire.

"What about you? Don't you need blood?" she changed the subject, still unable to take her eyes off the blood trickle on his wrist.

"Not really." He declared starting to lose his patience.

"I will drink from you only if you drink from me in return. It is only fair." she blurted out before she could stop herself. Now that she said it, it didn't sound like such a bad idea. He may be evil, but he was only helping her and it felt right to return the favor.

His heart skipped a beat. She was offering to feed him in order to thank him. His love for her exploded like a thousand fireworks. His heart swelled at the thought that she accepted the pain that would come from his bite just to save him from the unquenchable thirst. He closed his eyes for only a moment, trying to save this precious memory.

"I have bitten you one time too many. I won't put you through that pain again."

"But you can heal me afterwards with your blood." she said wanting to erase the guilt from his handsome face.

_Why do I feel this irrational need to comfort him? Is it because of the blood or the man?_

"There's no sense in that. We would be running in circles and hurting you needlessly."

The gash on his wrist was slowly starting to heal. Slower than he expected truth be told, but he didn't comment on it. He could use some blood, but it was stupid to drink from her and then feed her in return.

Caroline was torn between her need to feed and her sense of right. In the end she gave in to the former. She took his hand gently on hers and lowered her lips towards the tender flesh. She closed her eyes to hide the immense pleasure when the divine fluid touched her lips. Her fangs grazed the skin on his wrist drawing an almost inaudible gasp from his lips.

She tried not to think of his generous mouth being on that same spot moments ago. His glorious blood flowed through her veins like liquid lava, searing every last shred of resistance in her. She could recall with frightening clarity the unique taste of his blood. It was unlike anything she had tasted before and she doubted she would ever find its equal.

Klaus watched as the lovely woman gulped down his blood. Her pink lips tickled him, but he kept his hand steady. The color that spread to her face warmed his heart. She was a beautiful person. He was lucky to have found her, just when he had given up hope of finding a sanctuary for his frozen heart.

A small part of him wanted to keep her like this forever. The hope that one day she would let herself love him rooted inside his heart. The other part of him knew this was but a dream. He didn't want her to love him out of necessity and lack of choice. He could wait for her if there was even a slight chance that there was hope. How could he tell though?

The sudden feeling of cold on his skin brought him back to reality. Caroline had stopped drinking from the vein and the lack of her warm lips around his wrist hurt him.

"Thank you Klaus." she whispered still blushing. "You didn't have to do this." Caroline was playing with her fingers because she felt too overwhelmed by the experience to look him in the eye.

"I wanted to. Besides, I made a promise."

"You never promised to be my personal food bank." She replied confused.

"Not to you, love." His lips did once again that trick that made her breath catch in her throat. He should smile more often.

"To whom then? I thought you didn't believe in promises." What was this new mystery? It annoyed her that he would make promises involving her to some unknown person.

"I still don't."

Caroline noticed that he didn't answer her question. To whom did he promise to feed her his precious blood? She was sure that not many people had savored that unique blood. She made a list of people that might have obtained such a promise from the world's most feared immortal.

She then remembered her mother thanking Klaus. It had struck her as odd and he had made fun of her. Now it all made sense. He still didn't believe in promises, yet he kept the one he gave to her mother. For her sake.

Before she could thank him properly her attention was drawn to steps coming from the door. They didn't expect any visits so she was curious to see who it was this time.

Her face lit up when she saw Bonnie coming closer to the barrier. Her best friend's confident smile was contagious. Caroline mimicked her and went close to the barrier.

Bonnie's smile faded however when she noticed the blood on Klaus's lips. Her eyes shone dangerously and a bright light started to emanate from her right hand. The barrier may protect him, but at that moment Bonnie didn't care. How dare he drink Caroline's blood? The werewolf bite wouldn't be lethal since his blood held the cure, but it was extremely painful.

"How dare you drink her blood?" she yelled at Klaus, out of control.

He smiled, but that smile never reached his eyes. He was tired of everyone judging him so lightly, but he didn't care what the witch thought of him. He tilted his head slightly to the left and showed Bonnie his still bloody wrist.

"Bonnie, no." Caroline rushed to stop her friend before she said anything harsh to Klaus. This was the first time she had experienced the feeling of being wrongfully accused of something. It was only normal for Bonnie to assume that. She would do the same thing if the roles were reversed. The point was that they never gave him the benefit of the doubt. "I'm the one that drank his blood."

Bonnie stopped dead in her tracks. What was going on here? When she saw the blood on the hybrid's lips she assumed the worse. He was evil, what else should she think?

"He gave you his blood? I know him, he's only trying to control you, Care."

"Watch your tongue witch. You don't know me. You know of me." His menacing voice made Caroline cringe, but his anger was soon disguised as indifference.

Caroline contemplated his last words. She had come to realize that what she thought of him and who he was were two completely different things.

"What is going on, Care?" Bonnie asked concerned about her friend. She looked as healthy as ever but her eyes told that something was different about her.

"Klaus fed me his blood so that I wouldn't desiccate." Her words were laced with gratitude and that tamed Klaus's anger.

Bonnie felt suddenly ashamed of herself. She hadn't expected this development, but she still shouldn't have rushed to judge him for his previous deeds. People can surprise you when you least expect it.

"I apologize for my outburst. Caroline's well being is very important to me." Bonnie knew when to admit her fault.

"That makes two of us." Klaus replied showing the young witch that he had accepted her apology.

"How is it going with the spell?" Caroline tried to hide the impatience from her voice, but failed miserably.

"I think we are on the right track. Bettie proved to be one hell of a witch, but then so am I." the brunette giggled at her friend in a conspiratorial manner. "I also had great help from Celeste, the witch that Elijah brought to help with the barrier. We have been working together and I am sure we will succeed."

Those words made Caroline jump for joy. They would finally be free to go back to their lives. In the back of her mind she dreaded that moment. Despite her fears and prejudices, she had felt safe here with Klaus. He had opened his heart to her and she cherished those moments. She was sure that once they were out of there, he would once again raise those impenetrable walls around himself.

"That's fabulous news." she replied to Bonnie, sensing that her friend needed the reassurance.

"I just need one last thing for my preparations." Bonnie said looking at Klaus.

"Would that be my liver this time?" He couldn't hide the sarcasm from his voice; not that he tried to.

The silent _Klaus_ that Caroline screamed in her head must have reached him because he smirked at her.

_I will never understand how this man's mind works. Nor will I have a chance to._

"I guess I deserved that." Bonnie smiled now, visibly relaxed. "Nothing as fancy as that. I just need an object that you value most, so that I can bind it to you when trying to bring the barrier down."

The request seemed logical. Klaus tried to think of something that was valuable to him. He had lived for so long that he had slowly removed any attachment to objects. The only thing that really meant something to him was his necklace, but he wore it, so Bonnie couldn't use it.

"The only things that matter to me are either on me or next to me."

The meaning of his words was not lost on the two girls. Caroline blushed at this declaration, while Bonnie's eyes went to the necklace visible through the open collar of his shirt.

"Don't you have something that may help me?"

"Actually you may find something in my room. You are free to take anything from the night stand that you think may be of use."

"Thank you Klaus. I really appreciate your help." Bonnie bowed her head to emphasize the words.

"Anytime." he answered, pleased that at least the witch would do something to help him.

"What did you take from me, Bon Bon?" Caroline was really curious to know what her friend thought would be of value to her.

"It was quite simple, Care." Bonnie smiled pleased with herself and produced a small bracelet from her jeans' pocket. It was the bracelet that Tyler had given her for her birthday.

Caroline felt awkward upon seeing the beautiful piece of jewelry. How could she tell Bonnie that things had changed since the days she would wear it all the time?

"What's wrong Caroline?" Bonnie was concerned about her friend; something was bothering her.

"It's nothing. I... how did you get that bracelet?"

"I asked your mom to go to your room to take something of value for the spell. As soon as I saw it, I knew."

"Didn't you find it odd that it was in my room instead of on my wrist?" Caroline asked quietly.

Bonnie's smile faded immediately. It was true, Caroline used to wear it all the time. Lately things had become awkward since Tyler was exiled. Because of Klaus. And now, the once precious bracelet was lying in her jewelry box like a normal bracelet. She wanted to ask Caroline what happened but she didn't want Klaus to listen. They could talk about this once her friend was back to the safety of her house.

"I'm sorry, Care. What would you have me borrow from your things?"

Caroline thought about the million things that she considered valuable to her. Yet, none of them could qualify for a spell this powerful. She lowered her voice and told her friend. "On the first drawer of my night stand you will find a diary."

"What? You keep a diary? Why didn't I know about it?" Bonnie was genuinely surprised. Suddenly she felt like she didn't know Caroline that well anymore. What happened to have made her ignore so many things about her best friend? Or was it that Caroline had changed?

"That's not the point now. Take the bookmark you will find there. Please, do not read the diary." Caroline pleaded, knowing full well that those words would hurt her friend.

"I am offended that you think I would read it."

"Wouldn't you? Come on, you would die if you didn't read it." Caroline winked at her friend.

A slow smile bloomed on Bonnie's lips. "Oh well, you know me too well. I promise not to read it. What is this bookmark anyway?"

"You'll see." Caroline replied feeling a light blush on her cheeks.

"OK then, see you soon, Care." She blew a kiss to her friend and went away.

When Bonnie was gone, Caroline turned around and asked Klaus. "Does Bonnie know which one is your room?"

"She is a powerful witch, she will find it."

* * *

Bonnie had no trouble finding Klaus's room. It gave off a sense of immense power, clearly matching its inhabitant. She was curious to see how the man they had been fighting for so long, lived.

His room was tidy enough for a man's room. The king size bed was made and it was obvious no one had slept in it for a long time. The furniture was mostly of dark wood, but the room was surprisingly bright. The large windows on one side of the wall let the sun chase the shadows from every corner. The contrast between dark and light was so intense that she couldn't help but wonder if it was the case with Klaus as well. At least he showed his bright side when he was around Caroline.

She didn't waste any more time. She approached the nightstand with care and started to study the various objects on top of it. There were a few pieces of paper with drawings on them, a few medallions and other small staff, probably souvenirs from his travels.

She picked one of the papers and was not surprised to see it was a portrait of Caroline. She wasn't sure if someone had told her, but she knew that Klaus had made this sketch. Caroline looked so loving that Bonnie wondered if her friend knew the depth of the hybrid's feelings for her. At the bottom of the page was written in calligraphy: _Always and Forever_.

Bonnie knew by instinct that this was the object she was looking for. She took out a book from her handbag and placed the drawing between the pages, to protect it.

She then left the mansion, unable to hide the excitement of finding Caroline's precious object. The bookmark must be one hell of an object to overshadow the bracelet from Tyler.

It took her twenty minutes to reach Caroline's house. She knew where they kept the spare key, so she unlocked the door and went straight to Caroline's room. She didn't want to stay in the house longer than necessary. It felt weird to be there while her friend was missing.

With barely contained curiosity, she found the small diary her friend had told her about. She scanned through the pages to find the bookmark. There was no bookmark there. She was about to put the diary aside when something fell off a page.

Bonnie stooped to retrieve the fallen object. She was speechless when she realized what she was holding in her hand.

It was a piece of paper; the same kind of paper as the drawing she took from Klaus's room. It was a drawing too: an amazing sketch of Caroline standing next to a beautiful horse. Underneath, it said, in the same handwriting as the other drawing:_ Thank you for your honesty. Klaus_.

"Caroline Forbes. You have a lot of explaining to do when this is over." Bonnie chuckled and placed the new drawing together with the first one. "This is gonna be interesting."


End file.
